Netflix Grossly Misrepresents Facts About Hunt For Bin Laden, Ignores Elite Military Unit
Netflix's documentary about the hunt for Osama bin Laden appears to grossly twist what happened during the Battle of Tora Bora.
The streaming giant released "American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden" for viewers Wednesday. The three-part documentary had been slated to premiere in March after a lot of promotion and hype.
Then, for seemingly no reason, it was delayed until May 14th. When it did finally premiere, it received a fraction of the attention it had originally.
I watched the first episode on Wednesday, and encouraged people to give it a shot. Then, I noticed something going through it again that grabbed my attention.
Netflix's Osama bin Laden documentary appears to twist facts about the Battle of Tora Bora.
The closing part of episode one focuses on the Battle of Tora Bora. The December battle was the closest American forces came to killing Osama bin Laden other than when they actually did in Pakistan. A team of Delta Force members from A Squadron with some other operators smashed the enemy fighters on the ground and with air power.
However, you'd never know it from watching the documentary. In fact, the men responsible for doing almost all the fighting weren't even mentioned. They're completely ignored. Instead, the documentary frames it as if a few CIA operatives and an Air Force CCT conducted the battle against 1,000 enemy fighters.
"We had four Americans. A thousand enemy down below," a CIA operative claims in the documentary, setting a narrative that the CIA did all the work and that it was a CIA operation.
However, that's simply not true. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth, and it's not speculation. It's documented.
Multiple Delta Force operators have been open about what happened at Tora Bora. John McPhee, Jamey Caldwell and Thomas Greer have all gone on the record.
Furthermore, an analysis of the battle shared by the Australian government credits Delta Force - not the CIA - for being the tip of the spear. You can see a photo of Delta Force operators on the ground here. Certainly looks like a hell of a lot more than just four guys. It's also open knowledge that members of the U.K.'s Tier One SBS were involved.
Were there CIA people on the ground? Without a doubt, but the Battle of Tora Bora was Delta Force's show. It was The Unit leading the way - not just a few men from the CIA against 1,000 fighters.
I reached out to Netflix for comment on why the basic facts of the battle were completely ignored, but have not received a response as of publication.
What I can tell you is that the military has been cracking down on Tier One operators sharing their stories. Why? Your guess is as good as mine, but I've personally had to deal with it. Is it possible the government didn't want Delta Force mentioned or involved? It's possible, but not something Netflix has confirmed as of now.
What I do know is that the Battle of Tora Bora wasn't fought by four men. As soon as I heard that comment, it set off all sorts of red flags.
An unknown commando during the Battle of Tora Bora. (Photo by ROMEO GACAD/AFP via Getty Images)
I will update this piece if Netflix responds with a comment about why basic facts were completely ignored. It simply makes no sense. Let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.