OPERATION NEPTUNE SPEAR
After it was discovered that Osama Bin Laden was living in that palace. The CIA held a special meeting with Vice Admiral William H. McRaven, commander of the Joint Special Operations Command. - JSOC) where in that session the CIA informed him of everything they knew about the settlements they had discovered.
After receiving the information, Admiral McRaven suggested that they send a commando force to carry out the raid on the palace but feared that it might bring trouble with the Pakistani army, which is only one and a half miles from Bin Laden's secret residence.
After extensive discussions Admiral McRaven instructed several officers from the U.S. Navy (Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) to set up a temporary office at CIA Langley headquarters and allies to prepare a special plan. will go to the President's recommendation on dealing with a settlement that is believed to be hiding Osama Bin Laden.
After two months in which DEVGRU spent preparing the plan in collaboration with the CIA they finally submitted their proposals to the CIA Director Mr. Panetta and to the defense minister Mr. Robert Gates.
President Obama then convened a special session of the National Council / Security Committee to discuss the issue.
After lengthy discussions at the session it appeared that President Obama favored the proposal to bomb the settlement from the air. But questions arose as to whether there was a tunnel in the palace and Osama was probably sitting under the tunnel.
Throughout their investigation the CIA could not determine whether there was a tunnel in the compound or not.
With that in mind then (the presence of a tunnel) if they decide to blow up the settlement with a bomb then they will have to use a bomb weighing not less than Kg. 910 so that it can completely demolish the settlement with the tunnel if any.
But this proposal also had its challenges as if a powerful bomb were to be used, there would be several neighboring houses that would be within blast radius. Also, if the settlement had been bombed, there would have been no conclusive evidence that Osama had been killed in the attack.
After these challenges were identified in the next session of the National Security Committee, Obama suspended the bombing plan.
The second option was for the Navy commanders (Navy) Seals, to invade the settlement using special helicopters that fly without noise and are not easily detected by the enemy Radar.
This option was good but had one major challenge. Remember these settlements are very close to the Pakistani Military base, what if they were attacked before they had completed the operation?
Some of the people presented at the meeting including the defense minister Mr. Robert Gates suggested that they probably involve members of the Pakistan Intelligence Service (ISI).
The idea was strongly opposed by President Obama that they do not believe the Pakistans and if they tell them about the operation then on the same day Osama will be relocated.
Obama suggested that if their commanders were arrested before completing their operation, then Admiral McRaven should be prepared to call Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to persuade him to release the US commandos.
But Obama also instructed Admiral McRaven to prepare his commanders for military action in case they can be challenged by the Pakistani military and did not want to allow them to leave.
All attendees of the security committee approved the plan to invade Bin Laden's by helicopter, except for Vice President Joe Biden, who opposed the plan.
Despite the Vice President's opposition to the plan, on April 19, the National Security Committee met again and President Obama gave preliminary approval to carry out the operation. And it was named Operation Neptune Spear.