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What No Easy Day Reveals About the bin Laden Raid

Mark Owen's account differs in details, delivers with drama

By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 2, 2012 1:56 PM CDT

(Newser) – The White House may not like Navy SEAL Mark Owen's first-hand account of the bin Laden raid—but judging by a New York Post recap of the book, No Easy Day, it's a heart-thumping description of that fateful night. Owen describes the helicopter crash that marked the SEALs' arrival, his near murder of a woman carrying a baby, and the assassination of bin Laden's son, Khalid. One of the SEALs whispered Khalid's name until the man's face poked out, and SEALs opened fire on his face.

No Easy Day differs from the official account only in small details—but none bigger than the death of bin Laden, which apparently didn't happen at point-blank range in a bedroom. According to Owen, a SEAL shot him instantly from 10 feet down a hall when the al-Qaeda mastermind's head appeared in a doorway. SEALs found a Makarov pistol and an AK-47 in bin Laden's room, but neither were loaded. “He had no intention of fighting,” writes Owen.“The higher up the food chain the targeted individual was, the bigger the pussy he was.”

This book cover image released by Dutton shows No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden, by Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer.
This book cover image released by Dutton shows "No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden," by Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer.   (AP Photo/Dutton, File)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 35 comments
HANKHILL
Sep 3, 2012 10:55 AM CDT
1. ol benny dead. so should story be. 2 i still say he is alive and well and driving a cab in nyc.
OuttaHere
Sep 3, 2012 7:17 AM CDT
Lots of other guys were there too and they haven't written anything. Is it that they have purer motives than this one? Probably. But more importantly they understand the nature of their employment and know they will be called on again and they know that protecting America is more important than the money. I'd say this is 2012's Swift Boat. 
Thagnut
Sep 3, 2012 5:46 AM CDT
I don't understand how this can be published over the pentagon's objections.  This guy had access to top-secret info and he had an obligation to get his material reviewed before print. Why the hell is this a 'civil matter'.?    They need more aggressive lawyers like, yesterday. 
 

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