Osama bin Laden’s killer reveals special gift he gave the CIA analyst who found 9/11 mastermind
Robert O'Neill, the US Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden, revealed he gave a memento to the CIA analyst who tracked down the 9/11 mastermind. After the 2011 raid, O'Neill presented her with the magazine from his gun, still containing 27 rounds, as a token of respect. The analyst, portrayed by Jessica Chastain in 'Zero Dark Thirty,' remained composed, famously remarking she was now 'out of a job.'
- ▪Robert O'Neill gave the CIA analyst the magazine from his firearm used in the bin Laden raid, with 27 rounds still inside.
- ▪O'Neill described the analyst as a determined professional who had spent years tracking bin Laden and was deeply invested in the mission.
- ▪The analyst, whose identity O'Neill promised not to reveal, made a dry remark upon seeing bin Laden's body: 'F--k, I'm out of a job.'
- ▪O'Neill and the analyst had a conversation before the raid, during which she expressed the high stakes of the operation.
- ▪The analyst was famously portrayed by Jessica Chastain in the film 'Zero Dark Thirty.'
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US News Osama bin Laden’s killer reveals special gift he gave the CIA analyst who found 9/11 mastermind By David Spector Published May 2, 2026, 12:35 p.m. ET The man who killed Osama bin Laden had a special gift for the brilliant CIA analyst who found the 9/11 mastermind. Robert O’Neill knew he had to give the “badass” woman who worked doggedly for years to find bin Laden a token to celebrate the completion of her life’s mission when he met her at the base at Jalalabad in Afghanistan following the May 2, 2011 raid. 3 Robert O’Neill gave the CIA analyst who found bin Laden his magazine with the rounds still in it.
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