To people of my generation, Seymour Hersh is a legend. He has been around since the Vietnam era and won a Pulitzer Prize for exposing the My Lai massacre. More recently, he exposed the abuse of detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison.
Hersh claims that Pakistan helped the U.S. to kill Osama bin Laden in 2011, by looking the other way. The U.S. was tipped off to his location by a former Pakistani official in 2010 who wanted to collect the $25 million reward that was offered. The official is now living in Washington with his family. According to Hersh, bin Laden had been a prisoner of the Pakistani intelligence service (known as ISI) since 2006 and senior Pakistani military officers knew of the U.S. raid ahead of time. The U.S. threatened to terminate American aid to Pakistan unless it cooperated.
Hersh claims that bin Laden was being held in an ISI compound in Abbottabad, a city of 1.4 million. Abbottabad is about 100 miles from the Afghanistan border and about 20 miles from India. According to the New York Times: "Abbottabad is basically a garrison town." The compound was located less than two miles from Pakistan’s West Point, the Kakul Military Academy, and a mile from a regional military HQ. Pakistan's state of the art radar system which had been supplied by the U.S. was switched off. This allowed two American helicopters to land undetected in Abbottabad. Bin Laden’s ISI guards were told to disappear and it was a straightforward hit. The White House created an elaborate story which Hersh claims is fantasy. However, the White House has vehemently denied Hersh’s account. U.S. officials still claim that the Pakistani government was not informed about the operation.
One of the Black Hawks carrying the SEALs crash landed in bin Laden's compound and had to be abandoned. According to Hersh, the SEALs had to wait around while a replacement was found. They were able to complete their mission and returned unharmed. Hersh also claims that the Saudis bribed the Pakistani government. They were told not to inform the U.S. they had captured bin Laden and were paid in oil for their troubles. Hersh believes the Saudis did not want Americans interrogating bin Laden.
Hersh has been criticized by his journalistic colleagues for his version of the raid but it seems more plausible than the official narrative. Why would a man on the run, like bin Laden, choose to occupy a 38,000 square foot house close to the Pakistani military? Saddam was hiding underground. Unless the American helicopters had stealth capability it is hard to believe that the Black Hawks could fly from Afghanistan, crash-land, and still not be detected. The SEALs were on the ground for 40 minutes, but the Pakistani Army didn’t arrive until after they had left.
India and Pakistan have fought four official wars, but they also have regular border skirmishes, Security is tight in the region. I watched an interview with the Pakistani journalist Tariq Ali who claimed that the local people near the compound had been warned there would be a raid and they were advised to stay away. It has been claimed others that the local police informed the army about the gunfire. At the end of the day, bin Laden was executed and the killing was justified. It does not really matter what the Pakistanis knew. Obama at his first press conference thanked the Pakistanis for their cooperation. The story quickly changed and it is not clear why. Pakistan could have acknowledged that it had cooperated, but bin Laden was a hero to many in the country. Hersh claims this would have been a dangerous strategy. Pleading ignorance and incompetence may have been the safest option for Pakistan's leadership.
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The Killing of Osama Bin Laden Hardcover – April 12, 2016
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Print length144 pages
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LanguageEnglish
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PublisherVerso
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Publication dateApril 12, 2016
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Dimensions5.7 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
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ISBN-109781784784362
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ISBN-13978-1784784362
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"I’ve long admired the skill and independence with which Hersh has brought important and concealed information to light.”
—Ahmed Rashid, New York Review of Books
“It is the demands of state secrecy, their distressing effects on US foreign policy—and ultimately their subversion of the democratic process—that unify the four essays in Seymour Hersh’s The Killing of Osama Bin Laden … An explosive account.”
—Los Angeles Times
“Vintage Hersh. It takes issue with every part and participle of the story about Osama bin Laden’s death.”
—Times Literary Supplement
“Hersh’s account is more plausible than the official version and more thought-provoking than the movie Zero Dark Thirty, which dramatised the hunt for Bin Laden … my bet is that he’s got closer to the truth about Bin Laden’s death than anyone else has yet.”
—Independent
“Seymour Hersh’s theories surrounding the killing of Osama bin Laden and recent events in Syria are forceful.”
—Guardian
“The Killing of Osama bin Laden is the clearest articulation of how US policy on the Middle East has shifted, with often damaging consequences … Required reading for those seeking firm answers from US presidential candidates before they take office.”
—Joseph Dana, LA Review of Books
“Seymour Hersh is without a doubt the most important journalist in the United States … [The Killing of Osama bin Laden] is a masterpiece of investigation.”
—Jonathan Sturgeon, Flavorpill
“Riveting, provocative … a critical book for anyone concerned with the importance of truth in democratic governance.”
—Hans Rollman, PopMatters
“A devastating critique.”
—Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“One of America’s greatest investigative reporters.”
—New York Times Magazine
“The last great American reporter.”
—Financial Times
“Quite simply, the greatest investigative journalist of his era.”
—David Remnick, Editor-in-Chief, New Yorker
“The Pulitzer Prize winner builds on his reputation as an iconic investigative journalist, skewering the conventional wisdom about the death of Osama bin Laden.”
—Kirkus
“Few aspects of the official version of Seal Team Six’s killing of bin Laden in May 2011 survive Hersh’s scrutiny.”
—Publishers Weekly
—Ahmed Rashid, New York Review of Books
“It is the demands of state secrecy, their distressing effects on US foreign policy—and ultimately their subversion of the democratic process—that unify the four essays in Seymour Hersh’s The Killing of Osama Bin Laden … An explosive account.”
—Los Angeles Times
“Vintage Hersh. It takes issue with every part and participle of the story about Osama bin Laden’s death.”
—Times Literary Supplement
“Hersh’s account is more plausible than the official version and more thought-provoking than the movie Zero Dark Thirty, which dramatised the hunt for Bin Laden … my bet is that he’s got closer to the truth about Bin Laden’s death than anyone else has yet.”
—Independent
“Seymour Hersh’s theories surrounding the killing of Osama bin Laden and recent events in Syria are forceful.”
—Guardian
“The Killing of Osama bin Laden is the clearest articulation of how US policy on the Middle East has shifted, with often damaging consequences … Required reading for those seeking firm answers from US presidential candidates before they take office.”
—Joseph Dana, LA Review of Books
“Seymour Hersh is without a doubt the most important journalist in the United States … [The Killing of Osama bin Laden] is a masterpiece of investigation.”
—Jonathan Sturgeon, Flavorpill
“Riveting, provocative … a critical book for anyone concerned with the importance of truth in democratic governance.”
—Hans Rollman, PopMatters
“A devastating critique.”
—Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“One of America’s greatest investigative reporters.”
—New York Times Magazine
“The last great American reporter.”
—Financial Times
“Quite simply, the greatest investigative journalist of his era.”
—David Remnick, Editor-in-Chief, New Yorker
“The Pulitzer Prize winner builds on his reputation as an iconic investigative journalist, skewering the conventional wisdom about the death of Osama bin Laden.”
—Kirkus
“Few aspects of the official version of Seal Team Six’s killing of bin Laden in May 2011 survive Hersh’s scrutiny.”
—Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Seymour Hersh has written for the New Yorker and the London Review of Books, as well as serving as a Washington correspondent for the New York Times. He established himself at the forefront of investigative journalism more than four decades ago with an exposé of the massacre in My Lai, Vietnam, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. Since then he has uncovered stories such as Kissinger’s role in extending the Vietnam War as well as the military torture regime at Abu Ghraib prison. He has won the George Polk prize five times, the National Magazine Award for Public Interest twice, the LA Times Book Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
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Product details
- ASIN : 1784784362
- Publisher : Verso; 1st edition (April 12, 2016)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 144 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9781784784362
- ISBN-13 : 978-1784784362
- Item Weight : 10.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.7 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
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Best Sellers Rank:
#1,042,298 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #788 in Afghan War Military History
- #1,095 in Political Corruption & Misconduct
- #1,680 in Intelligence & Espionage History
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Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2016
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Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2018
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Although some suggestions now need updating, such as Hersh's faith in General Flynn's interpretations of events, the fact remains this is a important work. Hersh, no fan of Obama's policies, digs deep to expose the consistent lies around what exactly happened to Bin Laden. How it happened is made clear. The US government continues to stick to the improbably story line the Pakistanis would allow US attack helicopters to enter its airspace without knowing, a suggestion that never had an ounce of credibility. Was Bin Laden openly murdered? Of course he was. Was he given a full Islamic funeral and burial at sea? Highly unlikely. Hersh cannot find anyone, among the 2000+ sailors on the ship, who witnessed the supposed Bin Laden burial. The book could us an updating and perhaps Hersh will get around to it. There is enough here, though, to appreciate why Obama had so much difficulty with a military that should have welcomed a change in administrations. The most significant foreign policy event of Obama's presidency still reads like a whitepaper from the Pentagon, circa 1966. The official report is full of fanciful suggestions and lies. Obama rode the event to reelection. Remember this when Democrats insist the Republicans have abused foreign policy for political gain. The pendulum swings both ways. Also, the suggestion Obama let Syria off the hook after it crossed his "red line" is explained. It was the Turks who gassed the Syrians to try to pull the US in. To Obama's credit, he resisted.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
Seymour Hersh gets to the truth of the facts about the actual killing of Osama Bin Laden, and they are not the "facts" reported on the evening news. He also provides a view of the internal politics inside and outside the White House that led to the killing and the subsequent misreporting of it. Finally, he puts all of this into a political context that is very illuminating. A most valuable book!
8 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars
media's narrative on the Bin Laden raid versus Seymour Hersh's investigative work shows what poor investigative work is being do
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2016Verified Purchase
A masterful dissection of U.S. covert ops managers and operators. The cognitive dissonance in the U.S. media's narrative on the Bin Laden raid versus Seymour Hersh's investigative work shows what poor investigative work is being done by domestic U.S. reporters which routinely come across simply as boosterism of the goverment's cover story regarding the U.S./Pakistan relationship. Hersh's account makes much more sense when he describes the real world intelligence & political machinations of the raid's background and logistics rather than the high tech stealth gadgetry and knife edge timing of Zero Dark Thirty. Its too bad that so few of his sources will go on the record when describing the dysfunctional political and military relationship between us and the Pakistanis.
8 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2016
Verified Purchase
After hearing an interview with Mr. Hersh on C Span I was highly intrigued about his investigative reporting on this current administration and knew I would definitely need to read the book. The book did not disappoint! He took no sides calling out both sides of the political parties and tries to just report the facts as he uncovered them, an uncommon thing among journalists these days.
He did a good job of giving the common person not deeply involved in the political process a peek at some of the deals taking place behind the scenes and how much "spin" has become the preferred method of justifying the actions taken. It gave me a better grasp of reading through reports in the media and maybe left me a bit more skeptical of the news we hear every day. So much for transparenc in the federal government. Thank you Mr. Hersh!
I would definitely recommend this book.
He did a good job of giving the common person not deeply involved in the political process a peek at some of the deals taking place behind the scenes and how much "spin" has become the preferred method of justifying the actions taken. It gave me a better grasp of reading through reports in the media and maybe left me a bit more skeptical of the news we hear every day. So much for transparenc in the federal government. Thank you Mr. Hersh!
I would definitely recommend this book.
9 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
While a very good read, the title of the book is somewhat misleading. The title makes it appear as if the book is entirely about Bin Laden, which it is not. In fact only 52 pages are dedicated to that topic out of 124, as the rest discuss the situation in Syria. However, it is a very interesting read and presents facts very different from the ones released in the media.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries
MR A F LOVE
5.0 out of 5 stars
Deep State in the raw!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 10, 2018Verified Purchase
Purchased this book after listening to a television interview and being intrigued by Seymour Hirsch. Was not disappointed with this book and read it no time. More than feasable proof of my (our) worst suspicions and fears. How the world is manipulated by the few rich, greedy and powerful. Deep State in the flesh. Although it explains how the 'execution' of Bin Laden was carried out, most of book related to how the current trouble in the Middle East, specifically Syria, was initiated and is being carried out. A must read for those who would like the current madness to stop.
2 people found this helpful
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DriverJohn
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not quite what I expected
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 24, 2020Verified Purchase
The title subject is dealt with in around the first third of the book and then the author goes on to describe the Obama administration’s handling of affairs in the Middle East and Syria in particular.
An interesting read, but not what I expected and it does end rather suddenly with no real conclusion.
An interesting read, but not what I expected and it does end rather suddenly with no real conclusion.
Mr G.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating and incredible !
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2016Verified Purchase
Book arrived as promised. A small book divided around the mission involving Bin Laden then goes on to the war in Syria. A fascinating insight in to world politics, agendas and alternatives based on what evidence can or cannot be found. Already read and leant this book to a relative. Would recommend this to others.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2018Verified Purchase
Good
Jamil Azad
5.0 out of 5 stars
What all should know
Reviewed in Canada on August 8, 2018Verified Purchase
Essential revelation of the working of the American government. The tumbling of a pyramid of lies and liars. A stern warning against believing our masters. A must read for everyone who can
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