US
        

Politics

White House says bin Laden unarmed

Updated: 2011-05-04 06:38

(Agencies)

Twitter Facebook Myspace Yahoo! Linkedin Mixx

WASHINGTON - Osama bin Laden was unarmed when he was confronted by US commandos at his Pakistani hideout, the White House said Tuesday as new details emerged about the audacious raid that killed the world's most wanted terrorist.

Special coverage:
US kills bin Laden

Related readings: 
White House says bin Laden unarmed Bin Laden's death will not stop Indonesian radicals
White House says bin Laden unarmed Pakistan denies harboring bin Laden
White House says bin Laden unarmed Bin Laden wife was human shield against raiders
White House says bin Laden unarmed Bin Laden was buried at sea by aircraft carrier

The White House said it was considering whether to release photos of bin Laden after he was killed but that the photos were "gruesome" and could be inflammatory.

Other details that emerged Tuesday: One of bin Laden's wives tried to rush the US assaulters and was shot in the leg. High temperatures caused a lumbering helicopter carrying elite commandos to make a hard landing.

And as Navy SEALs swept through the massive compound, they handcuffed those they encountered with plastic zip ties and pressed on in pursuit of their target, code-named Geronimo.

Specials

British Royal Wedding

Prince William and Kate Middleton married at Westminster Abbey in a royal occasion of dazzling pomp and pageantry.
Best wishes

The final frontier

Xinjiang is a mysterious land of extremes that never falls to fascinate.

Bridging the gap

Tsinghua University attracts a cohort of foreign students wanting to come to China.

Costly dream
Models gear up car sales
Urban breathing space