O'Neill Claims He Shot Bin Laden Three Times in Face at Close Range
"I shot him in the face 3 times, and that's— there's no— because I was closer to him than I am to you, and he was standing right— standing— well, for the first 2 he wasn't. He was— yeah, first 2 were fast. And the reason that happens is because he's a suicide bomber."
About this episode
On this episode of the Julian Dorey Podcast, host Julian Dorey sat down with Rob O'Neill, the retired Navy SEAL Team Six operator who killed Osama bin Laden, for an unfiltered three-hour conversation covering the Bin Laden raid, O'Neill's military career, and the controversy surrounding his public revelations. O'Neill provided the most detailed account yet of the final moments in Bin Laden's bedroom, explaining he shot the terrorist three times in the face at close range after the point man in front of him tackled two women believed to be wearing suicide vests. The episode revealed explosive details about Obama administration decision-making, including President Obama's directive to prepare contingencies to 'rain hell on Pakistan' if the raid team was captured, and Hillary Clinton's aggressive advocacy for SEAL operations during the Captain Phillips rescue. O'Neill recounted being pinned down in a 2008 border firefight where he called airstrikes on Pakistan for 3.5 hours, nearly facing court-martial before drone footage exonerated him and earned him a Silver Star. He disclosed that operators were legally transferred to CIA command under Title 50 for the Bin Laden mission to provide plausible deniability. Beyond the headline operations, O'Neill discussed his struggle with PTSD, how plant medicine including ibogaine helped him quit alcohol in 2025, and the legal battle he's pursuing against former teammates who questioned his account. He painted SEAL Team Six culture as simultaneously the most elite brotherhood and eventually fractured by ego, noting a senior officer predicted they'd 'never work together again' after retirement despite their historic success.
Key takeaways
- O'Neill shot Osama bin Laden three times in the face at close range in the bedroom on the third floor of the Abbottabad compound after the point man tackled two women.
- President Obama asked Air Force leadership what would be required to rain hell on Pakistan if SEAL Team Six was captured, authorizing potential major military escalation.
- Hillary Clinton aggressively pushed the Obama administration to authorize SEAL operations including the Captain Phillips hostage rescue when other officials hesitated.
- O'Neill called in continuous airstrikes on Pakistani territory for 3.5 hours during a 2008 border firefight, nearly facing court-martial before drone footage vindicated him.
- SEAL Team Six operators were transferred from military to CIA command under Title 50 for the Bin Laden raid to provide legal plausible deniability and avoid classification as act of war.
- O'Neill used ibogaine plant medicine therapy three times starting in 2023 to overcome severe alcoholism and PTSD, getting a tattoo of his first sober day on his drinking hand.
- O'Neill is pursuing legal action against former teammates for malicious defamation after years of public disputes over who killed Bin Laden, though he maintains respect for the point man who refuses to speak publicly.