“In late November [2001], probably within days after bin Laden had arrived in the area, [CIA Field Commander Gary] Berntsen’s team tracked him to a mountainous area called Milawa, just below the peaks of Tora Bora [Afghanistan]. Berntsen’s men called in airstrikes–a barrage from B-52s, F-15s and plenty more–that lasted nearly 60 hours. ‘Our guys were exhausted; they had been hammering Osama for days,’ Berntsen said. ‘Finally, bin Laden fled deeper into the mountains.’ ” [The 25th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Peter Finn, Ian Shapira, and Marc Fisher, “Introduction: Becoming More Like Him,” The Washington Post, May 6, 2011