The US Navy SEAL who claimed to have fired the fatal shot at Osama bin Laden has responded to long-running conspiracy theories about the burial of the terrorist leader.
Released last week, Netflix's newest drop, American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden, examines the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks as well as the hunt for the leader of al-Qaeda terrorist.
The hunt for bin Laden culminated on 2 May 2011 when a group of US military personnel - SEALTeam Six - was involved in Operation Neptune Spear, which tracked bin Laden to his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
The terrorist leader was fatally shot in the chest and head inside the home, with his body later being buried by the US military.
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Who shot Osama bin Laden?
The US government has never officially confirmed the identity of the man who delivered the fatal shot, with senior members of the armed forces reiterating that part of the Navy SEAL ethos is to not 'publicly discuss the nature of one's work or seek recognition for actions'.
However, this hasn't stopped individuals involved in the operation coming forward and claiming responsibility for his death.
One of the most notable people is Robert O'Neill, who has gone on record numerous times claiming to be the individual who fatally shot bin Laden, and he is interviewed in American Manhunt.
However, O'Neill is not the only person to have claimed responsibility for killing bin Laden, with fellow ex-Navy SEAL and author Matt Bisonnette publishing his version of events in his 2012 book No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama bin Laden.
What happened to his body?
Following his execution, bin Laden was allegedly buried in accordance with Islamic customs, which involves the body being cleansed, placed within a white shroud and buried within 24 hours of death.
US officials state these customs were followed, with one official stating (via BBC): "Traditional procedures for Islamic burial were followed."
Official accounts of his death state that bin Laden was initially flown to Afghanistan to have his identity confirmed. The body was then placed onboard US aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, where religious funeral rites were performed.
His body was then disposed of in the Arabian Sea by the US Navy. The members of SEALTeam Six were not directly involved in the burial of the body.
Conspiracy theories around Osama bin Laden’s death
Numerous conspiracy theories have cropped up over the years regarding the death of Osama bin Laden.
No physical evidence has ever been published in relation to bin Laden's death, despite numerous Freedom of Information Act requests from numerous media outlets over the years.
One of the most notable claims was that bin Laden's killing was staged by former President Barack Obama, with a body double being shot and buried instead.
This theory later gained traction after US President Donald Trump retweeted an article on the topic in 2020, prompting O'Neill to reply: "Very brave men said good bye to their kids to go kill Osama bin Laden. We were given the order by President Obama.
"It was not a body double. Thank you Mr. President."
O'Neill has also clarified that while he was part of the team which killed bin Laden, he wasn't involved in the burial of the body, writing on X: "I didn’t bury anyone at sea, BTW…" after the Netflix series premiered.
Why was his body buried at sea?
Given the numerous conspiracy theories around the death of bin Laden, numerous people have wondered why the US Navy chose to dispose of the body in the sea.
According to the BBC, US officials have given two reasons behind the decision, that no countries had agreed to take his body and that there had been concerns about his grave being turned into a shrine by al-Qaeda supporters.
American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden is available to stream on Netflix.
Topics: Osama bin Laden, US News, Netflix
Brenna Cooper