The Obama administration launched a successful operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden , the leader of al-Qaeda , a global Sunni Islamist militant organization responsible for the September 11 attacks and several other terrorist attacks . Starting with information received in July 2010 , the CIA determined what they believed to be the location of Osama bin Laden in a large compound in Abbottabad , Pakistan , a suburban area 35 miles from Islamabad . CIA head Leon Panetta reported this intelligence to Obama in March 2011 . Meeting with his national security advisers over the course of the next six weeks , Obama rejected a plan to bomb the compound , and authorized a " surgical raid " to be conducted by United States Navy SEALs . The operation took place on May 1 , 2011 , resulting in the death of bin Laden and the seizure of papers and computer drives and disks from the compound . Bin Laden 's body was identified through DNA testing , and buried at sea several hours later . Reaction to the announcement was positive across party lines , including from predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton , and from many countries around the world
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Presidency of Barack Obama