Discovery Channel To Present 'Killing Bin Laden' Special 5/15

The world watched as President Obama made the announcement: Osama bin Laden is dead. As the mastermind behind the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center and bombings of U.S. embassies, he was listed as one of the FBI's most wanted terrorists. While he managed to elude capture for years, on May 1st he finally met his demise. On Sunday, May 15th at 10PM ET/PT, Discovery Channel will premiere KILLING BIN LADEN, a one-hour special that provides a comprehensive overview of the bin Laden operation - from the time the crucial intelligence was gathered in 2010, through the burial at sea. The special will also air on Discovery Channel across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America beginning May 18.

KILLING BIN LADEN delves into the details of how the operation was planned and executed, seeking to answer key questions that are to date unresolved, including: How many special ops forces were involved? From where did they deploy? How did they get in and out of Pakistan without being stopped? How did they scientifically identify bin Laden? Why was one of the helicopters destroyed? What really happened inside bin Laden's house?

The special taps into the expertise of NBC News' Chief Pentagon Correspondent Jim Miklaszewski; former CIA Operative John KiriaKou; former Navy Seal Eric Greitens, (Seal Team Six); Blackhawk helicopter pilot Michael J. "Mike" Durrant (shot down in Mogadishu and became "Blackhawk down"); military analyst Dan Goure from the Lexington institute; special ops analyst from GlobalSecurity.org Tim Brown; Lawrence Koblinsky, Ph.D. of John Jay College CUNY Forensic Science Department; and the global resources of NBC News on the ground in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

"Bringing Osama bin Laden to justice is one of the biggest stories of our country's lifetime," said Clark Bunting, President and GM, Discovery Channel. "Discovery Channel's global reach, strong partnerships and unique nonfiction storytelling ability allow us to delve deep into this story and provide viewers with answers to the questions they are asking as well as context and historical perspective."

Produced for Discovery by Peacock Productions, KILLING BIN LADEN will also investigate how intelligence gathered the information that led to bin Laden's hideout, including the tracking of a senior Al Qaeda courier. In August 2010, investigators tagged the heavily fortified compound, where the courier lived with his brother, as a possible terrorist hideout. Once intelligence experts were convinced that the compound contained a senior "high value" terrorist target with a strong likelihood that it could be bin Laden himself, they launched the plan that would end with U.S. Special Forces making a pre-dawn raid on the compound by helicopter.

"Utilizing the incredible strength and depth of NBC News, along with the unparalleled storytelling of Peacock Productions, KILLING BIN LADEN promises to inform and fascinate viewers," said ShaRon Scott, Executive Vice President and GM, Peacock Productions.

Encores of KILLING BIN LADEN will air on Discovery Communications' Military Channel, Science Channel, ID and Planet Green in the United States.

About Peacock Productions

Peacock Productions is an award-winning, nonfiction production company that combines the editorial expertise, technical resources and seasoned production talent of NBC News to offer a wide-range of programming to broadcast, cable and digital entities with worldwide reach.

About Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which is distributed to 100.1 million U.S. homes, can be seen in over 180 countries, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 210 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through 130-plus worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as US joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Hub and 3net, the first 24-hour 3D network. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of digital media services, including HowStuffWorks.com. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

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