Nine years, seven months, and 20 days after the September 11th attacks that took 2977 American lives, United States Navy SEALs of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group (“Seal Team Six”) executed Operation Neptune Spear, along with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and the CIA’s Special Activities Division, raided Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
During that raid, bin Laden was killed. The U.S. took his body back to Afghanistan for identification, and promptly buried it at sea by the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in accordance with Islamic tradition.
Approximately 24 Navy SEALs from the Red Squadron of the Special Warfare Development Group carried out the mission, under CIA command (rather than Navy command, since the U.S. was not at war with Pakistan where the operation took place). The staged the operation in Jalalabad, and flew two Black Hawk helicopters modified with stealth technology.
The helicopters entered Pakistan low to the ground, avoiding radar detection. It took 90 minutes to reach Abbottabad. They cut power and breached the building, finding bin Laden on the third floor.
Robert J. O’Neill publicly identified himself as being the SEAL who shot bin Laden, saying he pushed past the lead SEAL and confronted bin Laden in his bedroom and shot him twice in the forehead and once in his body as he laid on the floor. The entire raid was projected to take 40 minutes, and was accomplished in just 38. The assault itself took only 15 minutes. Everyone returned safely to Bagram Airfield.
It’s never been clear though whether bin Laden was already dead from shots through the opened bedroom door by the lead SEAL. O’Neill may not have been the man who killed bin Laden, though he takes public credit for doing so.
I’ve always been a little troubled either way, because this was a huge team effort. I’ve never served, and don’t wish to second guess those who went on the mission. But it’s always bothered me that one person has sought personal glory from the raid to the exclusion of the rest of the team.
What makes this story relevant today is that Robert O’Neill, the SEAL credited with killing bin Laden, has been banned by Delta Air Lines for refusing to wear a mask inflight. (HT: One Mile at a Time)
I just got banned from @Delta for posting a picture. Wow.
— Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) August 20, 2020
“Posting a picture” means the now-deleted picture (he says deleted by his wife) of his not wearing a mask on a Delta flight, and questioning the manhood of anyone who does.
Screenshot via One Mile at a Time
While he claims it was all just a ‘joke’, he’s also posted anti-mask arguments as well.
I do wear a mask, @Alyssa_Milano … this attempt at a joke did NOT go over well… https://t.co/LgQR6UzN0d
— Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) August 19, 2020
Just a quick re-tweet… COMMENTARY: Masks-for-all for COVID-19 not based on sound data | CIDRAP https://t.co/HeWbJi3Di8
— Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) August 20, 2020
The information about masks not being effective that he tweets, by the way, is from April (when we knew less about the virus) and the authors make clear that the effectiveness of cloth masks is all that is in question, and that they only do not know enough at that time about cloth masks. Rather than being an anti-mask argument, it’s an argument for better masks.
O’Neill thinks he shouldn’t be criticized over this, though, because after all he killed bin Laden (or, at least, was a SEAL who was a part of the mission and takes credit for doing so).
I am not the bad guy. I Killed the bad guy.
— Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) August 19, 2020
Kudos to Delta for applying their policy consistently. Past heroism – the man was a SEAL on the raid in Abbottabad – should be lauded but not used to excuse false bravado that potentially puts others in danger.
If he really did kill Bin Ladin I applaud him. However, it doesn’t take much to follow simple rules on a commercial aircraft. I think all that are heroes can abide by protecting their fellow passengers.
Great, so he ain’t no pus$$$. More like an a$$$ole.
Sounds like an asshat who’s a legend in his own mind
I am confident that there isn’t a single person here or at the OMAAT blog that could spend one day in his shoes. He posted a picture… get over it. He also dedicated his life to protecting the freedoms you have to voice your opinions. There is no doubt Delta banned him because of the cry babies that complained after reading about it on Ben’s blog. He could have simply removed his mask to drink and take a photo, but in this new culture people just judge and convict without knowing the facts. Get a life people. Thank you Mr. O’Neill for keeping us safe.
So based of this marine’s logic, he allowed to infect and potentially kill other people on the aircraft because he previously killed a terrorist. Great.
If Sam from Who’s the Boss says this dude is wrong then he’s wrong. I mean, she like learns lines, takes her clothes off in C movies and stuff to show off her fake jibblies. Thank god almighty Sam Is here to help everyone else live their lives. She’s spent large numbers of minutes studying stuff to the point that she can almost play someone smart on an Oxygen Network series.
The fact that he may’ve been the person that killed someone that the USA wanted killed does not grant him or anyone else a license to put others at risk in a civilian aircraft. Most Covid 19 carriers are unaware when they might carry the virus that could kill people. He may’ve performed a heroic act, but presently he looks and sounds like a pompous jerk.
Thank you Charlie.
Any mask article is bound to infuriate people. This is such an emotional topic that it is best to avoid that, especially on a travel blog.
The mask lovers will push for more masks in more places and then mask haters will push back. No minds will be changed. Just people will get ticked off.
The claim about OBL’s corpse was that the US “promptly buried it at sea by the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in accordance with Islamic tradition”.
In fact, the corpse was neither promptly buried at sea; nor was it handled in accordance with Islamic tradition. Promptly burying at sea? It wasn’t promptly, as the corpse was deliberately removed and routed the long way for additional photographing and more archival verification recording. Also, it wasn’t a burial. It was a dumping of a weighted corpse into the sea.
The relocation of a corpse from land to water bodies so as to disappear it from the person’s relatives and other potential well-wishers is actually contrary to Sunni Islamic tradition. And during historical conflicts, such deliberate acts of disappearing the corpse of a legitimately-killed hostile could be considered by some to be a war crime of sorts.
He deletes the tweet then blames his wife? Sounds more like cowardice than bravery.
@guwonder
Meh
What does an unrelated act years ago have to do with being a health risk now?
Um no, you are not exempt from the mask rule! Another person who thinks we should worship the ground he walks on….. Sorry your supposed rights do NOT succeed my rights to not being exposed to your dirty exhalations! Just another reason to fly Delta!
@GUWonder – there’s no strong evidence to suggest that the burial at sea took over 24 hours.
Rethuglicans are such are such caring and thoughtful people. Not. another Drumpf crime family member(Bannon) going to jail today. What is it with this entitled narcissism of these people?
He still served a great duty to the country. I don’t think he’s deserving of these comments that give more importance to his maskless photo than to his past heroism.
@GUwonder
So,um,did the guy that got killed strictly follow his religion when he killed thousands of people? Be careful, it’s a tough one. If he didn’t, then perhaps his body didn’t deserve treatment along religious lines. If he did, then, well…
He killed Bin Laden, now he has the taste for killing and wants to kill more. Delta says, “No, not on our flights,” and he goes whining like a little snowflake to social media. Grow up.
@HOC don’t compare him to a radical Islamic terrorist.
#banhim
Oh stop already. .01 chance of dying from CV-19. Most will get over it without even knowing they had it. Tests simply show genetic material possibly left over from a previous cold or faulty tests like PCR. Or, you registered to get tested, stood in line too long, went home without the test but received a letter in the mail you tested positive. Or…..whatever.
Yes, CV is a problem for a select few out of 7+ billion. But no where near like TB. Too bad we don’t tell our unhealthy citizens how to better take care of themselves, take some supplements, exercise and turn off media. But, that is not a good idea. Doesn’t make big pharma any money and wouldn’t cause a global shutdown.
Numbers (fake) going up yet death rate going down.
Chance of getting CV on a plane? Unlikely….
https://bgr.com/2020/08/20/coronavirus-transmission-rate-on-airplane-germany-study-5865286/
One day maskers will be shocked as more evidence comes out showing its uselessness…
I’m with Charlie even if he did act unfavorably on the aircraft.He paid his dues and even if he isn’t the classiest or well said man he is an American hero.Nothing can take that away and if he were to apologize and learn his lesson should be given a pass go after a short ban
Good for delta. Someone should explain to him he didn’t get banned for taking a picture. He got banned for not wearing the mask on the plane and the promoting doing so in a way that encourages others to do the same.
Ex-USAF pilot here. Was actively refueling allied aircraft during OEF and OUP when both Bin Laden and Qaddafi were taken down. Guess that gives me standing to flout an airline’s mask rules too! Wonder what else I can/should try to get away with as a (now) civilian…?
Hoc… you are the snowflake. Why don’t you google the word RESPECT? Clearly your mommy never taught you even the basic concept of it.
maybe it is time fo you to leave the basement and see the real world.
The man is a hero. I would let him sleep with my wife if he asked!
/s
@Ari, I guess you can ask to sleep with @Jeff’s wife!! 🙂
@ Robert T. Love it.
“Great, so he ain’t no pus$$$. More like an a$$$ole.”
…and a dumba$$$.
Gary Leff,
There wasn’t a burial. There was a dumping of the corpse into the sea with a limited funeral ritual at sea. That the dumping of the corpse into the sea took place within 24 hours of death and involved a Muslim chaplain is not in and of itself a sign of the corpse being handled in full compliance with the religious tradition to which OBL claimed adherence or even the laws of war. The removal of a corpse from land so as to be dumped into the sea and disappear the corpse does not mean the corpse was handled in adherence to the relevant Islamic tradition. Rather it means the opposite.
The whole point of the Obama Administration claiming that the corpse was disposed of under Islamic tradition was to distract and deflect from the Obama Admin and others not wanting the corpse or the corpse’s burial spot to become a political shrine/rallying point of sort for OBL sympathizers and others. This dumping of the corpse into the sea ensured the impossibility of that kind of corpse-centered shrine/rallying point.
Taking a fresh corpse from land and disappearing it into the sea — in the way that it was done — was done for supposedly practical reasons that had nothing to do with respecting Islamic traditions or even the laws of war. If OBL was killed while at sea and there was no means to perform a land burial before the day’s sunset, then the USG’s claim about OBL’s corpse handling and funeral would not be misleading. The Obama Admin’s decision to remove the corpse from land and deny OBL’s nearest family access to the corpse and funeral on land was contrary to the mentioned religious tradition.
Being a hero of sort doesn’t grant a right to ignore the rules of relevance when the rules are considered lawful. It is not clear whether he was actually materially flouting the mask-wearing rules or was just trying to provide commentary of sort about mask rules while generally complying with mask rules anyway. A ban for commentary while in compliance with the rules? That’s overkill. A ban for encouraging others to engage in rules violations? Maybe that is not.
He is just a self-centered moron bringing shame to military service members who actually know what they are fighting for.
In another word, he will be running for congress soon as a republican.
I’m liking Delta more every day.
@GUWonder
“The Obama Admin’s decision to remove the corpse from land and deny OBL’s nearest family access to the corpse and funeral on land was contrary to the mentioned religious tradition.”
Let’s be clear. Is the murdering thousands on 9/11 also contrary to the mentioned religious tradition?
I’ve never been military but have worked 20+ years in the DOD in the IC world. I’ve worked with some excellent military people (enlisted and officers) and there are also some total losers/wackos in the military. They will con the system, abuse people, etc. Sexual harassment is way too common.
This guy seems like a total AH and I’m betting more than a few of his fellow SEALs have a very low opinion of him.
So you have someone out numbered, and out gunned, you should him (and I have no problems with him dead) and then you are going to make a living out of that? That tells you all you need to know about this clown.
We need only read posts like these to wonder why in hell America has such a bad response to Covid and a growing number of cases and deaths when most of the industrialized nations are seeing a decline and a return to “normal” and we are going to hell in a handbasket! I went to a little Dollar Tree store last night, masked up, Lysol wipe in hand…look around and see a woman and kid in tow, no mask, not uncommon in the small town where we live in rural Alabama, we are SURROUNDED BY COVIDIOTS who apparently do nothing but watch social media posts and Fox News stories telling them “their rights” are more important than the good of the entire nation! Asked the clerk if they’d stopped requiring masks (because the door still has a sign saying they’re required) and she said they can’t “enforce” it…I would think if you are a private business you could certainly refuse to sell, but honestly airline f/a’s have more authority, if ALL stores could call cops and have them come drag people out of stores the way they drag them off of planes and give them citations, WE COULD GET THE DAMN VIRUS STOPPED AND WE COULD GET BACK TO SOME KIND OF NORMAL HERE TOO! Damn, you’d swear the 3 inch piece of cotton we’re asking people to wear was a tampon taped to their forehead instead of a surgical mask! Crazy.
Someone should talk some sense into him by feeding his ego and telling him that the point of wearing the mask is to protect others, and he can do something to save many vulnerable people (not strong people like him.) Then he should film a PSA saying he made a dumb mistake, the right thing to do is to wear a mask to protect others, and if you don’t wear a mask you’re a pussy.
Interesting to note that the man wearing a Marine Corps t-shirt (behind O’Neill inn the photo) is WEARING A MASK. Good job, Delta!
All he had to do was show that he had a drink in his hand. You don’t want to just outright refuse to wear it. You have to be smart. You don’t have to wear it while you are eating or drinking. So order a drink and take your sweet sweet time with it. I’ve done this on several occasions. I’m at the point now where I can keep the mask off for almost the entire flight nursing a coke.
@Joe – Well done, very smart of you! You deserve a gold star – or a cookie – or something… We need more people like you, we really do!
So Charlie knows without a doubt there are no former SEALS or Force Recon Marines or Special Forces that read here. Hmmm…
Ok, so he’s not a “pussy”.. Certainly seems to be an “asshole”.
I thought the first and foremost virtue of a good soldier is the ability to follow orders. Sounds like this is just an insecure dude trying hard to play hero in both instances.
Just because you served, does NOT make you special.
-Sincerely, a quiet professional former Army.
Combat veterans don’t go around bragging about killing people. Instead it’s the exact
opposite. While I commend the Armed Forces for catching up with Osama, I don’t
commend anyone who’s bringing attention to himself for killing someone. People in the Armed Forces are expected to follow orders and in this case Mr. O’Neill decided Delta’s
rules don’t apply to him. Reminds me of our great leader “Ole Bone Spurs ” War General
chump.
He was on Stuart Varney’s show this morning. He said he believes in masks and had three in his pocket at the time of the show. He also said he wore a mask onto the plane, but took it off to eat–the picture shows the airline attendant in the aisle passing out snacks–as everyone is allowed to do. That’s when he took the picture and sent it. He did not seem to be anti-mask or intending to endanger anyone.
@Pat – on his twitter account he’s been anti-mask, tweeting just yesterday an old study (that’s rather inopposite for Covid-19) suggesting masks don’t work
And if he wasn’t anti-mask, why is he tweeting today that masks aren’t necessary for heroes?
Just another Bi-Polar Marine who can NOT follow orders. No wonder he was discharged from the Service. Who wants to be in a group when you have a idiot like him who can not even follow a simple order. He just wants everyone to know how big is small Johnson is since he has done nothing since that day years ago. Now he will be blessed with spreading covid 19
mdtravel,
Criminals are criminals, whether within or beyond any religious traditions. OBL was a war criminal within and beyond religious traditions.
Even war criminals and corpses of war criminals should be handled in a way that that isn’t inconsistent with civilized norms.
Even in fighting against war criminals/war crimes, people are not to act outside the scope of civilized norms when fighting against war criminals/war crimes. And that also is to apply in how people deal with enemies, living or dead.
Gary,
Maybe the self-promoting, banned passenger is a fan of Sweden’s Anders Tegnell, the Swedish public health leader who is still bizarrely hostile to mask use as a public health security measure against this pandemic.