To mark the fifth anniversary of the 2011 operation that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the CIA “live-tweeted” the event as if it was happening in real time. According to the agency’s Twitter account, the step-by-step tweets of the raid at bin Laden’s Abbottabad, Pakistan, compound were posted “as if it were happening today.” Though the decision to tweet the event sparked an onlinebacklash, CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani said the agency has done postings to mark other historical events, including the escape of U.S. embassy employees from Iran in 1980 (as depicted in Argo), the Glomar operation, and the evacuation of Saigon.
Unlock a year of full access to The Daily Beast for $35.
Monthly
$1
First monththen $5.99/month
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $5.99 monthly. Cancel anytime
Annual
$35
First yearthen $59.99/year
Discounted annual rate - Save 47%
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $59.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
Best Value
Premium
$79
First yearthen $119.99/year
Discounted annual rate
Full access to the Daily Beast Substack ($60 value)*
Premium ad-free reading
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $119.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Subscription$0.00
Total$0.00
OR
Loading subscription options
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First monththen $5.99/month
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $5.99 monthly. Cancel anytime
Annual
$35
First yearthen $59.99/year
Discounted annual rate - Save 47%
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $59.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
Best Value
Premium
$79
First yearthen $119.99/year
Discounted annual rate
Full access to the Daily Beast Substack ($60 value)*
Premium ad-free reading
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $119.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
