* For months, the US tasked satellites and drones 24/7 over the compound getting a picture of the habits and comings and goings of all participants, including (especially) the courier who was known to bring messages in and out to Bin Laden.
* A full scale replica of the compound was built at the US air base at Bagram so the SEAL team could train and work out possible kinks.
* Data, including and especially live monitoring of the take-down was relayed in real time to an Air Force hangar at Langley, from where it was relayed to intelligence services in D.C. It was this data which, for months prior, allowed intelligence officials to form a 4-dimensional real world picture of the workings of Bin Laden's compound.
* In a statement, James R. Clapper, the director of national intelligence who presides over all 16 of the country’s intelligence agencies, said that in his nearly 50-year career “never have I seen a more remarkable example of focused integration, seamless collaboration and sheer professional magnificence’’ as was evident in the final hunt for bin Laden.
* The folks in DC may (or may not) have watched the episode in real time, sources won't confirm that there was a live video stream of the event. (This is very Tom Clancy, eh?)
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