Special operators conducted “red team” drills – designed to identify major glitches in military operations – and regularly briefed Obama on their progress. The White House conducted at least five National Security Council meetings on the topic since the middle of March, according to a senior administration official.
In the drills, the Navy SEALs had numerous factors to take into account. The high walls of the compound, complete with barbed wire, and the suburban location in the midst of civilians “made this an especially dangerous operation,” said the official.
