Op planned by man who helped capture Saddam

The US special operation that killedOsama bin Laden was planned by a veteran of anti-terror ops who had earliercommanded a crack team that helped capture former Iraqi president Saddam Husseinfrom his secret cellar in Tikrit, northern Iraq.That man, Vice Admiral William H McRaven — now commander of Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command — has been described as the principal author of US strategy to combat terrorism and its foremost expert on covert operations.In February this year, CIA director Leon Panetta gave McRaven details of the Abbottabad mansion and asked him to begin planning a military strike, according to a 'New York Times' report.McRavenreportedly spent the next few weeks working with the CIA on the operation beforecoming up with three options — a helicopter assault using crack UScommandos, a strike with B-2 bombers that would obliterate the compound, or ajoint raid with Pakistani intelligence operatives who would be told about themission hours before the launch.The call on using US Navy Seals in ahelicopter assault was ultimately taken by President Barack Obama. The nightbefore the operation, Obama took a break from rehearsing for the White Housecorrespondents' dinner to call McRaven and wish him luck, the paperreported.McRaven, whose thesis at naval postgrad school is said tobe mandatory reading for US special ops commanders, has long been on Osama'strail. In 2004, then US President George Bush seeking re-election that year, hadfirst tasked the special operations expert with nailing US's most wanted man. Atthat time, McRaven headed Task Force 121, which also helped capture SaddamHussein.Task Force 121, according to 'Newsweek', representedsomething brand-new in warfare — a pure hybrid of civilian intelligenceand military striking power. "It is the most ambitious melding yet of CIAassets, special forces (mainly the US army's Delta Force) and the air force,"the magazine wrote.The covert task force was formed in 2003 as partof Joint Special Operations Command – the secret "black ops" force thatMcRaven currently commands. The vice-admiral, who also holds a journalism degreefrom the University of Texas, has been described as the perfect man for the JSOCjob."Bill (McRaven) is reputed to be the smartest (US navy) Sealthat ever lived," 'Newsweek' quoted a former commander as saying. "He is tough,compassionate and can drive a knife through your ribs in ananosecond."The words of McRaven's former boss at the White House,General Wayne Downing, proved to be prophetic. In 2004, Downing told Newsweek,"If anybody is smart and cunning enough to get (bin Laden), McRaven and the teamhe now commands will do it."