Osama Bin Laden is one the most sought after terrorist leaders that the United States went after but his death in Abbottabad, Pakistan, which the U.S has considered a vindication for his campaigns that led to the 9/11 bombings, was shrouded in mystery.
One of the most enduring questions about Bin Laden's death, however, is now finally answered with the unraveling of the identity of the Navy SEAL Team Six member who gunned him down. The hero is 38-year old Rob O'Neill, who retired after 16 years of service in the Navy.
O'Neill's identity was first reported on SOFREP.com and Daily Mail Online has already confirmed his role in the Operation Neptune Spear, the covert mission that led to the killing of Bin Laden, with an interview with his father, Tom O'Neill.
Three years after that fateful night, the man who pulled the trigger has now openly admitted his involvement in arguably the most important mission of the War on Terror. O'Neill has now released a number of statements detailing the events that led up to the death of Bin Laden.
O'Neill now works as a motivational speaker but with him being unmasked as the person who killed the 9/11 mastermind, his life could never be the same again. His exclusive interview that will be aired on Fox News Channel would make him the object of public scrutiny particularly because not everyone is amenable with his decision to go public. O'Neill decided to speak up after he lost some of his benefits when he quit the SEALs after 16 years of service instead of 20 years.
The military, in particular, frowns upon his decision to come forward. In a letter to current and former SEALS, Force Master Chief Michael Magaraci and Rear Adm. Brian Losey, put emphasis on the importance of their vow of silence and made it clear that O'Neill's decision is shameful and could get him to face legal actions.
There is also concern about security not just of O'Neill, a highly-decorated military veteran, but his family's as well. O'Neill's father said that people had been asking them if they are worried of the ISIS targeting them after his son spoke out about his involvement in Bin Laden's death. His wife also expressed her concerns over a possible retaliatory attack.
"We're actually looking into changing my name," O'Neill's wife said in 2013. "Changing the kids' names, taking my husband's name off the house, paying off our cars. Essentially deleting him from our lives, but for safety reasons."
O'Neill is apparently aware of the risks that he gave his wife instructions on how to protect their children and came up with a plan in case they need to flee anytime.
