The New York Times is simply indispensable on big events like this. There's plenty of essential reading on their site, including an authoritative and dramatic account of the story behind the U.S mission. It includes this vignette of the crucial moment, from the Situation Room:
The code name for Bin Laden was “Geronimo.” The president and his advisers watched Leon Panetta, the C.I.A. director, on a video screen, narrating from his agency’s headquarters across the Potomac River what was happening in faraway Pakistan.
“They’ve reached the target,” he said.
Minutes passed.
“We have a visual on Geronimo,” he said.
A few minutes later: “Geronimo EKIA.”
Enemy Killed In Action. There was silence in the Situation Room.
Finally, the president spoke up.
“We got him.”
The only thing I would caution here is that the story will be based on briefings from the White House, whose aim is to burnish the president's image. It may well be, for instance, that in reality that moment played out like this:
A few minutes later: “Geronimo EKIA.”
Enemy Killed In Action. There was silence in the Situation Room.
Finally, the president spoke up.
“What's 'EKIA'?”
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