Former US president Barack Obama has revealed the details of the final conversation he had before Osama bin Laden was killed by US troops.
Per BBC News, al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was killed ten years ago tomorrow - on May 2, 2011.
In a statement to the American people and the entire world, Obama announced: "Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children."
Watch Obama's statement following Bin Laden's death below:In his statement 10 years ago, Obama spoke about the long-lasting damage the September 11 attacks had on the US, and detailed the nation's determination to find Bin Laden. He then said:
"Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability.
"No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties.
"After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body."
Now, nearly 10 years on, Obama has revealed details of his final phone call with Admiral Bill McRaven.
McRaven is the now-retired commander of the US Special Operations Command - the team which carried out the operation.
Alongside McRaven, the former POTUS spoke to ex-Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes about the operation, and the final phone call the two men shared before Bin Laden's death.
Watch the full interview below:Speaking to ex-Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, the ex POTUS confirmed that he had called McRaven to wish the mission’s team well, and to ask the admiral to share his thanks with the other troops.
Explaining that there were two reasons why he made the call, Obama said: "Two reasons I did that. One, no matter how highly trained those warriors were, there was still enormous risk to a mission like that.
"But the second reason I think it was important for me is that, as Commander-in-Chief and certainly here in Washington, a lot of times these issues of war are treated as abstractions.
"We forget that these are folks who have families and loved ones, and that they are carrying a burden on behalf of hundreds and millions of America," he added.
"When you are a commander in chief, and you make a decision about a particular mission like that, it was one of those rare opportunities where I had a chance to say - not after the fact, not in retrospect, not when folks are coming home, but before they go – that we don’t take this for granted."
McRaven responded by saying that Obama's phone call "meant a lot to me and to the guys getting ready to go on the mission".
