Culture

The CIA Just ‘Live-Tweeted’ Osama Bin Laden’s Death, Somehow Thought This Was A Good Idea

1. You can't live tweet something that happened five years ago. 2. WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO RELIVE THIS.

by Sinead Stubbins  2 May 2016

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Yesterday marked the fifth anniversary of the Navy SEAL operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. To commemorate this, this morning the CIA did what any other slightly out-of-touch government agency would do: use social media in a strange and ill-advised manner!

Live footage from CIA HQ.

First the official CIA Twitter account detailed some interesting facts about the operation (duh, we’ve all seen Zero Dark Thirty) but then began tweeting about the event as if it was happening in real time. To say that this was strange idea, is an understatement.

Yep, that’s how they killed bin Laden alright. As soon as the CIA began tweeting, the internet reaction was swift. Some people were confused at the idea that you can ‘live tweet’ something that took place five years ago (follow up question: why would you want to live tweet this thing?) but some found the reenactment “grotesque and embarrassing” given you know, people actually died.

All in all, everyone thought it was pretty dumb.

As far as some people are concerned, this story still isn’t over.