Corruption in Seal Team 6
Segment #752
Going back to my Navy career in the 60’s and 70’s I have always been fascinated with the Special Operation community that has representation in all branches of our armed services. The Navy Seals and the Bin Laden raid have been particularly interesting. It is an understood mantra in the Seals that no one ever take credit publicly for an operation. Yet Ron O’Neil has been monetizing shooting Bin Laden since
Matt Bissonnette is a former U.S. Navy SEAL (DEVGRU/SEAL Team Six) who participated in Operation Neptune Spear, the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. He authored the bestselling memoir No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama bin Laden (2012), initially published under the pseudonym "Mark Owen."In the book and related interviews (e.g., on 60 Minutes in 2012), Bissonnette describes the raid from his perspective as one of the assaulters on the third floor of bin Laden's compound. Key elements of his account include:
The mission involved intense preparation, a helicopter crash during insertion (which complicated but didn't derail the operation), and room-to-room clearing amid darkness and chaos.
When the team reached bin Laden's bedroom, an unnamed point man (the lead assaulter in the stack) encountered bin Laden peeking out or moving near the doorway/curtain.
The point man fired initial shots that mortally wounded bin Laden (hitting him in the head/chest area as he appeared).
Bin Laden fell or was already down/twitching; Bissonnette and others (including himself) then fired additional rounds into the body to ensure he was dead—standard protocol in such high-threat environments to prevent any threat (e.g., a suicide vest or final resistance).
Bissonnette emphasized he did not claim sole credit for the kill, describing it as a team effort and sticking to a "gentleman's agreement" among participants not to publicly identify the shooter(s).
He noted not immediately recognizing bin Laden due to the conditions (night vision, blood, chaos) and only confirming identity later via facial recognition and other means.
Bissonnette's version contrasts with that of fellow raid participant Robert J. O'Neill, who later publicly claimed (starting around 2014 in interviews and his book The Operator) to have fired the fatal headshots after the point man missed or only wounded bin Laden. This has fueled ongoing controversy:
Multiple anonymous SEAL sources (e.g., in The Intercept, Peter Bergen's reporting, and other accounts) align more closely with Bissonnette's description, suggesting the point man (sometimes referred to as "Red") delivered the initial lethal shots, with O'Neill arriving later and firing into an already downed or dying bin Laden (sometimes described critically as "canoeing" the body for photos or emphasis).
The U.S. government has never officially confirmed any individual's specific role, citing operational security and the classified nature of the mission. Retired Admiral William McRaven (who oversaw the raid) has reportedly supported aspects of O'Neill's account in private or limited comments, but the debate persists in SEAL circles and media.
Bissonnette has indirectly critiqued inconsistencies in other versions without naming names aggressively, focusing on team credit over individual glory.
Bissonnette faced significant fallout from his book: He did not submit it for full DoD pre-publication review (claiming advice from lawyers), leading to investigations, a 2016 settlement where he forfeited nearly $7 million in royalties/proceeds to the government, and an apology for breaching nondisclosure obligations.He has since written additional books (No Hero, and a 2025 faith-based memoir No Easy Way, pending review) and worked as a consultant (e.g., on TV shows like CBS's SEAL Team). He maintains his account prioritizes honoring the team and avoiding self-aggrandizement.The exact details of who fired which shots remain disputed due to the fog of combat, night vision limitations, and the SEAL ethos against public credit-seeking—though Bissonnette's early, team-oriented version is often cited as more consistent with anonymous insider accounts. If you're looking for specifics from the book or a particular aspect, let me know!
Rob O’neil and Bin Laden
Robert O'Neill (often spelled Rob O'Neill) first publicly took credit for shooting and killing Osama bin Laden in an anonymous capacity in a February 2013 Esquire magazine article titled "The Shooter," where he was described as "the man who killed Osama bin Laden" but not named. In that piece, he detailed his version of events from the May 2011 raid, claiming he fired the fatal shots to bin Laden's head.He then revealed his identity and openly claimed personal credit in November 2014, through interviews with The Washington Post (published November 6, 2014) and a related Fox News special. This is when his name—Robert J. O'Neill—was publicly linked to the claim, amid controversy over breaking the SEAL "code of silence" against seeking individual recognition for team operations.Note that his account has been disputed by other SEALs and sources (e.g., in Matt Bissonnette's book No Easy Day and various reports), who suggest the initial shots came from another team member (the "point man"), with O'Neill possibly delivering follow-up shots to an already mortally wounded or deceased bin Laden. The U.S. government has never officially confirmed or denied any single individual's role, emphasizing it as a team effort. O'Neill has maintained his version in subsequent interviews, his 2017 memoir The Operator, and public appearances.
No Easy Way
"No Easy Way" by Matt Bissonnette (the former Navy SEAL who wrote No Easy Day under the pen name Mark Owen) is available for preorder directly from his official website.You can buy (preorder) it here:
https://mattbissonnette.com/products/no-easy-way-book
Preorders from the site include a signed copy. It's described as a candid follow-up detailing the fallout, lawsuits, and aftermath after publishing No Easy Day, including his battles with the government.As of now (early 2026), it appears to be in preorder status rather than widely released yet—it's not showing up on major retailers like Amazon in the results (unlike his earlier books). Check the official site for the latest availability, shipping details, or release updates.If you're looking for his previous books (No Easy Day or No Hero), those are more widely available on Amazon, bookstores, etc., but for this specific title, the direct source is mattbissonnette.com.