The AP story opens with the moment the famous photograph was taken of Obama and his aides in the situation room watching the bin Laden operation unfold. “Hidden from view,” the story says, “standing just outside the frame of that now-famous photograph,” was the agent who had tracked bin Laden to that moment.
The AP story also notes that “two days after bin Laden’s death, John accompanied [CIA chief Leon]Panetta to Capitol Hill” to testify before the Senate intelligence committee about the operation. Young found a photo of Panetta leaving that briefing on May 3, and sure enough, there in the background is the Man With the Yellow Tie.
Of course, it could be a random staffer who happened to be in both locations with John. Or it could be the guy who iced bin Laden, whose identity is so secret that the AP agreed to alter its story to suit the CIA’s wishes, and whose photo was distributed by the White House.
[Photos via Flickr and AP]
ozoneocean
Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 7:35 PMThat original Obama war room pic could be worked to beautiful comic effect-> have the cam pan to reveal Saddam Hussein, George Bush Jnr, Tony Blair, Gadaffi, or even Osama Bin laden himself standing off to the side! Would be marvellous!
Mickey
Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 8:13 PMD’oh
That’s MR YELLOW to you.
Edward
Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 10:11 PMI’m loving how people are respecting his right to privacy.
Putting his photo across the net is putting him in danger.
ozoneocean
Friday, July 8, 2011 at 1:09 AMThose pics were already across the net- the net is where the original reporter found them, and his position is only speculative based on the fact he’s cut off to the side in the war room pic. He’s probably just an anonymous staffer who’d be faltered by the attention.
Sean
Friday, July 8, 2011 at 9:19 AMIt doesn’t work that way. Mr John Yellow-Tie (assuming the he’s the right guy) is almost certainly not an operations officer doing undercover field work, he’s almost certainly a mid to upper level manager in charge of a team responsible for finding OBL. Probably the analytical team in Langley as it is unlikely that the Pakistan station people were dedicated solely to that effort. At his level and on a target that requires a lot of liaison with US and foreign military and intelligence services, it is likely that his face and job are already familiar to a lot of people.
He might be in danger if people publish his real name and/or address; and if he used to run agents at some time in the past it’s possible they could be compromised and endangered, but that’s it.
olearymo
Friday, July 8, 2011 at 8:55 AMSo, no, he didn’t kill Bin Laden, unless he has REALLY good aim and can shoot a bullet from that situation room to Pakistan.
glennc
Friday, July 8, 2011 at 10:33 AMgood old internet speculation