Following Chris Wallace’s “riveting” (The New York Times) and “propulsive” (Time) #1 national bestseller Countdown 1945 comes a deeply reported, revelatory, and thrillingly told account of the final months of the hunt for Osama bin Laden.On August 27, 2010, three CIA officers ask for a private meeting with CIA Director Leon Panetta. During that secret session, they tell Panetta that agents have tracked a courier with deep Al Qaeda ties to a three-story house at the end of a dead-end street in Abbottabad, Pakistan. But they say it’s more than a house—it’s a heavily protected fortress. No one in the meeting says the name bin Laden. They don’t have to. Everyone understands that finally, after nearly a decade, maybe, just maybe, they’ve found the world’s most wanted man. In
Countdown bin Laden, celebrated journalist and anchor of
Fox News Sunday Chris Wallace delivers a thrilling new account of the final eight months of intelligence gathering, national security strategizing, and meticulous military planning that leads to the climactic mission when SEAL Team Six closes in on its target. The book delivers new information collected from Wallace’s in-depth interviews with more than a dozen central figures, including Admiral William H. McRaven—leader of the operation in Pakistan—as well as CIA Director Panetta, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, and two members of SEAL Team Six who participate in the raid, including the special operator who kills Osama bin Laden. Wallace also brings to life the human elements of this story, talking to families who lost loved ones on 9/11, sharing what relatives of SEAL Team Six went through, and bringing us inside the tense Situation Room during the raid. Published on the twentieth anniversary of 9/11,
Countdown bin Laden is a historical thriller filled with intrigue, cinematic action, and fresh reporting about the race to apprehend and bring to justice the mastermind of the most consequential terrorist attack in American history.
In the gripping narrative "Countdown bin Laden: The Untold Story of the 247-Day Hunt to Bring the Mastermind of 9/11 to Justice," veteran news anchor Chris Wallace delves deep into the extraordinary manhunt that culminated in the killing of Osama bin Laden. With unprecedented access to key players, including President Barack Obama, CIA Director Leon Panetta, and members of the Navy SEAL team that carried out the raid, Wallace pieces together the intricate details of this historic operation.
Drawing from hundreds of hours of interviews and a wealth of classified documents, Wallace takes readers behind the scenes of the intelligence-gathering, strategic planning, and tactical execution that led to the successful mission. He vividly recounts the tense moments as the SEALs prepared for the raid, the heart-pounding assault on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and the aftermath that reverberated across the globe.
"Countdown bin Laden" offers a gripping account of courage, determination, and the relentless pursuit of justice. Wallace skillfully weaves together the perspectives of those who played pivotal roles, providing a nuanced understanding of the complexities and challenges faced by the U.S. government in its quest to bring bin Laden to account.
The book is a testament to the resilience and unwavering commitment of the men and women who served on the front lines of this extraordinary mission. Wallace's masterful storytelling brings to life the gravity of the events leading up to the raid and the immense significance of its outcome. "Countdown bin Laden" stands as a gripping historical document that sheds new light on one of the most defining moments in modern history.
