Obama on bin Laden raid: "longest 40 minutes of my life"

AP Photo

(CBS News) One year after the successful raid killing Osama bin Laden at his compound in Pakistan, President Obama said he felt a "deep-seated satisfaction" after the mission was deemed successful.

In an interview on NBC News' "Rock Center," the president recounted watching the attack in real time.

"This was the longest 40 minutes of my life," the president said of amount of time the Navy SEALs had once they landed at the compound in Abbottabad.

The president and his national security team, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden, sat in a conference room just off the Situation Room that was filled with tension, and watched the operation in real time.

Complete coverage: the killing of Osama bin Laden

When one of the helicopters crashed, the president said it was "the most concerning part of the whole operation," but that Admiral Will McRaven, who executed the military operation, "did not miss a beat" and revised the plans.

Mr. Obama said he heard a Navy SEAL say "Geronimo," the code word for bin Laden. Shortly after, a SEAL said "Geronimo KIA," which mean Osama bin Laden was "killed in action."

Mr. Obama said few people knew about the operation and his wife Michelle was not one them.

"This was such an important secret to keep," Secretary Clinton said, noting that she did not tell her husband, former President Bill Clinton. 

In response to a question by host Brian Williams if the president thought about the political consequences of a failed mission, the president said he "put politics aside" and wanted the Americans to get home safe.

[TJphoto]

For all the posters here. If you do not have have a DD-214, then you do not understand the "Chain of Command". Yes the Seals did it, but the order came from The Commander in Chief, to the SecDef, to the JC, and on down. That's how it works. He made the call, he was the only one who could. End of story.

[Mr_Blottoman]

Obama had nothing to do with the killing of Bin Ladin , the Seals did it all and should get all the credit, and Obama did nothing but give the order.

Oh- and Hitler had nothing to do with the Holocaust, that was carried out by the SS, and he just gave the order.

[Mr_Blottoman]

Romney would have done it better. He would have figured out a way to make a profit for his friends.

[michaelz06]

It's certainly becoming the longest 40 minutes of everyone else's lives....

[AOCGUY]

touche'

[molakinmolo]

Yesterday, I heard an interview with a former CIA big whig wherein he stated that the President had been on the Golf Course at Andrews Air Force Base when the word came down that the Seals were about to go in.

He stated that was the reason that the President was dressed in Golf Clothes were everyone else was dressed in a suit or uniform.

I give the President credit for making the choice. I don't think that it was a hard one but I still give him credit.

That said, if the Golf stuff is true, the "longest 40..." stuff is total crap.

I'd love to know, one way or the other, if he was golfing.

[smirk5]

Actually, Obama knew when the operation would take place. He played 9 holes and then went to the situation room just prior to the start of the operation. He stayed there through the operation. It was during the operation that he was filled with anxiety. Prove that Obama was lying about part of the operation as being the longest 40 minutes of his life. Your speculation is total crap.

[AOCGUY]

The photo of Obama in the situation room does not support your assertion. While not in a coat and tie he is not wearing clothes that one would wear on the golf course. But even if he had payed golf earlier in the day so what? If an operation is scheduled for a specific time why sit around all day waiting.

[tmonta67]

They can try, but the GOP and the NeoCons just can't play this down. Obama is the President that got bin Laden. Tough pill to swallow, so they'll try and crush it into powder any way they can.

[smirk5]

It's nice that we have a President that cares enough about our troops to sit with anxiety and anticipation worrying about their welfare when he sends them into harm's way. Back when we had Bush, we had a fumbling President that invaded a country that had nothing to do with 9-11 and was no threat and cared so little about our troops that he told the press "Bring em on" when referring to enemies that would attack our troops there.

[smirk5]

Cons love to remember 9-11, a terrible day where America suffered great losses. But, they'll hate to celebrate the day that Bin Laden, the guy who ordered the 9-11 attacks, was killed. They'll be forced to remember that Bush didn't protect us on 9-11-01 and that Barack Obama ordered the successful hit on Bin Laden. Why do they hate America?

[bencastct]

Longest 40 minutes?
Probably the best
Way to go Obama

[ipsophakto]

Obama's weak leadership is exposed when he says that witnessing one highly planned and professionally executed operation was "the longest 40 minutes" of his life. Maybe this is why he lacks the courage and sense of duty to do mundane things like submit a realistic budget?

Obama's time in office is the longest 4 years of our lives. I'm counting the minutes until his divisive failures are in our rear view mirrors.

[AOCGUY]

Given the potential for disaster, loss of American lives, etc, I would say that you are an idiot. As for the budget the White House as submitted on time every year a budget to Congress. The fact that you do not have the intellectual capacity to understand that speaks volumes.