Small helmet cameras recorded raid on Osama's hideout

Washington, May 13: Tiny but highly sophisticated cameras installed on the helmets of the Navy SEALs, who raided Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad compound in Pakistan on a pitch dark night, are helping the CIA to reconstruct the entire 40 minute, second by second, and is providing invaluable inputs about the al-Qaeda chief, a media report said today (May 13).

Tiny helmet cameras, worn by each of the 25 SEALs, are helping officials to reconstruct a more accurate version of what happened, the CBS News reported based on its interaction with officials involved in the investigation process.

CBS said it is now known that the only firefight took place in the guest house, where one of bin Laden's couriers opened fire and was quickly gunned down.

No one in the main building got off a shot or was even armed, although there were weapons nearby, it added.

"The SEALs first saw bin Laden when he came out on the third floor landing. They fired, but missed. He retreated to his bedroom, and the first SEAL through the door grabbed bin Laden's daughters and pulled them aside," the report said.

When the second SEAL entered, bin Laden's wife rushed forward at him -- or perhaps was pushed by bin Laden. The SEAL shoved her aside and shot bin Laden in the chest. A third seal shot him in the head, it added.

According to officials, the electronic files carried away by US forces from bin Laden's compound contain -- among many things -- the names of terrorist operatives which until now were unknown to US intelligence.

"The files also contain a small, 12-page journal of bin Laden's handwritten notes about launching a major attack against the United States. He instructed against using Arabs because they arouse too much suspicion, to go after trains and to time the attack to coincide with the 10th anniversary of September 11," CBS news said.

Officials said there are also messages to his senior lieutenants and to al-Qaeda affiliates, urging them not to waste time on small, local operations and focus their efforts on the US, the news network said.

PTI