"There was family at that compound, and there was a female who was, in fact, in the line of fire that reportedly was used as a shield to shield bin Laden from the incoming fire," counter-terrorism official John Brennan said.
Pressed on reports the woman shot dead by Navy SEALs during a firefight at a compound in Abbottabad in Pakistan was one of bin Laden`s four wives, Brennan told a White House briefing: "That`s my understanding."
Brennan said it was not entirely clear "whether or not bin Laden or the son or whatever put her there or she put herself there" or whether the Al-Qaeda chief himself fired rounds during the exchange.
"From a visual perspective, here is bin Laden who has been calling for attacks, living in this million dollar plus compound, living in an area that`s far removed from the front, hiding behind women who were put in front of him as a shield," he said.
"I think it really just speaks to just how false his narrative has been over the years, and so again looking at what bin Laden was doing, hiding there while he`s putting other people out there to carry out attacks, again, just speaks to, I think, the nature of the individual he was."
In addition to the woman, Bin Laden was killed by a bullet to the head and senior US officials said two brothers believed to be his couriers and one of his adult sons also perished in the raid. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
