To mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden, the CIA Monday “live-tweeted” the special forces raid on the al-Qaeda leader’s compound in Pakistan — a move that was slammed on social media as “inappropriate” and “distasteful.”
“Death of Usama Bin Ladin marked significant victory in US-led campaign to disrupt, dismantle, & defeat al-Qa`ida. #UBLRaid,” the CIA, using an alternate spelling of the terror leader’s name, wrote on Twitter. They then commenced a minute-by-minute chronicle of the mission.
Here are a few examples:
1:25 pm EDT-@POTUS, DCIA Panetta, & JSOC commander Admiral McRaven approve execution of op in Abbottabad.#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/YhvuJVrMVc
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
3:39 pm EDT – Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
— Joe (@Brikka23) May 1, 2016
Daring #UBLRaid was an IC team effort & in close collaboration with our military partners.https://t.co/rklCIRLlgF pic.twitter.com/xZObdGeqPR
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Unsurprisingly, the internet didn’t react well. Many social media users denounced the stunt as a case of poor taste.
This @cia 's social media campaign is serioulsy inappropriate… and I'll leave it at that. pic.twitter.com/KgzifdjVk7
— Liri Andersson (@liriandersson) May 2, 2016
@CIA You've lost the plot mate
— Luke O'Neil (@lukeoneil47) May 1, 2016
Others wondered if the agency would live-tweet other historic events.
Looking forward to the @cia "live-tweeting" the Bay of Pigs invasion on its anniversary.









