Obama: Most senior aides unaware of bin Laden operation

President Obama tells the story of the special forces raid that killed Osama bin Laden to Steve Kroft

/ CBS News

(CBS News) In an interview with "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Kroft, President Obama discussed the cone of silence around the plans to raid the compound where Osama bin Laden was thought to be living for the last several years. He said that most people in the White House, including senior aides, were unaware of the risky operation.

"You know one of the great successes of this operation was that we were able to keep this thing secret. And it's a testimony to how seriously everybody took this operation and the understanding that any leak could end up not only compromising the mission, but killing some of the guys that we were sending in there.

"60 Minutes": Killing Bin Laden--The President's Story, Part 1

"60 Minutes": Killing Bin Laden--The President's Story, Part 2

"60 Minutes": Killing Bin Laden--The President's Story Part 3

Transcript: "60 Minutes": Killing Bin Laden--The President's Story

"And so very few people in the White House knew. The vast majority of my most senior aides did not know that we were doing this. And you know, there were times where you wanted to go around and talk this through with some more folks. And that just wasn't an option."

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[crazyname]

All senior aids should not have been aware of the operation. It was a top secret military operation. We don't need to know the particulars, and the media or the qhitehouse leaks need to be plugged because they can't get a story straight and it makes the US look like idiots and liars. Media is all about the first one to present a story wether it is right or wrong. The whitehouse spokesman needs to shut up unless he knows what he is talking about!

[reluctantzealot]

They tried to tell Biden, but he was asleep!