WASHINGTON // The CIA has marked the anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden by live-tweeting — with a five-year delay — the raid by US special forces on the Al Qaeda founder’s compound in Pakistan.
Using the hashtag #UBLRaid, the spy agency blasted out updates of the May 2011 strike as if it was unfolding in real time.
“To mark the 5th anniversary of the Usama Bin Ladin operation in Abbottabad we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today. #UBLRaid,” @CIA said in announcing its social media blitz.
Tweets included the now famous picture of president Barack Obama and high-ranking US officials watching the raid from the White House’s Situation Room.
Minutes later, it said: “3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed #UBLRaid.”
The CIA’s tweets got quite a bit of attention, but not everyone was enthused.
“@CIA Are we tweeting Hiroshima on August 6th too? Or is THAT in bad taste?” tweeted one user, Kris Knight.
Another who identies as Amber V tweeted: “Don’t you have better things to do, like catch living and breathing bad guys, or secretly invade our privacy, or something? @CIA#UBLRaid”
Others reacted positively.
“Watching the @CIA relive on Twitter the #UBLRaid today reminds me of how proud I am of the men and women who do what they do. Thank you,” tweeted Toby Knapp.
With 1.33 million Twitter followers, the Central Intelligence Agency has sent 1,662 tweets since it joined the social media service in February 2014.
“We are the Nation’s first line of defense. We accomplish what others cannot accomplish and go where others cannot go,” reads the Twitter bio.
Amid the tweetstorm, CIA chief John Brennan said on Sunday that taking out the head of ISIL would have a “great impact”.
He also warned that Al Qaeda remained a threat, and that ISIL was not just an organisation but a phenomenon.
“We have destroyed a large part of Al Qaeda. It’s not completely eliminated. So we have to stay focused on what it can do,” Mr Brennan told NBC’s Meet the Press talk show.
* Agence France-Presse
