The retired U.S. Navy SEAL who says he shot Osama bin Laden in the forehead has publicly identified himself amid a debate among members of the U.S. Special Operations Forces about whether they should break silence about their secret missions.
The 38-year-old Robert O’Neill told “The Washington Post” newspaper in an interview that he fired the two shots that killed Bin Laden.
One current and one former member of the Navy SEALS confirmed to The Associated Press that O’Neill was long known to have fired the shots that killed Bin Laden.
O’Neill said he decided to go public because he feared his identity was going to be leaked by others after his name was published on November 3 by a website operated by former Special Forces troops.
He is scheduled to be featured in lengthy segments next week on Fox TV News.
