Osama Bin Laden Raid Anniversary: CIA 'Live' Tweets

May 2, 2016 12:40 PM EDT

The CIA marked the fifth anniversary of the raid that led to Osama bin Laden’s death with a day of tweets that were posted as if the attack on the al-Qaeda leader’s compound were happening live. Many social media users found the agency’s posts distasteful and responded on Twitter.

“To mark the 5th anniversary of the Usama Bin Ladin operation in Abbottabad we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today,” the CIA tweeted Sunday afternoon, using the hashtag #UBLRaid.

1:25 pm EDT-@POTUS, DCIA Panetta, & JSOC commander Admiral McRaven approve execution of op in Abbottabad.#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/YhvuJVrMVc
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016

3:30 pm EDT - @POTUS watches situation on ground in Abbottabad live in Situation Room#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/59KPF7eUTr
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016

3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016

4:05 pm EDT - First helicopter leaves the area to go back to Afghanistan#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016

5:53 pm EDT - Helicopters return to Afghanistan where Admiral McRaven greets team#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016

7:01 pm EDT - @POTUS receives confirmation of high probability of positive identification of Usama Bin Ladin#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016

The tweets were posted throughout the day on Sunday, but they were greeted with confusion and anger by Twitter users following along.

reported @CIA pic.twitter.com/2RE3r0T0sN
— clipsmás mike white supremacy (@garbagekate) May 1, 2016

More Must-Reads from TIME

Where Trump 2.0 Will Differ From 1.0

How Elon Musk Became a Kingmaker

The Power—And Limits—of Peer Support

The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024

Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope

The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy

FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024

Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision