Images of US president Barack Obama in the Oval Office which also included a pair of golf shoes may have been the only clue that a top secret military operation was in progress.
The president usually puts in a few hours on the Andrews Air Force Base golf course before heading back to the White House to prepare for Monday morning.
However this weekend was different as Obama left the golf course early to return to Washington in his golf shoes.
He only played nine holes on Sunday afternoon rather than his customary 18 and many onlookers thought the cold, rainy weather encouraged the president to end his round.
However, what the reporters, who accompany the president on public outings, did not know was he was rushing back to rubber stamp the bin Laden operation, which resulted in the death of the Al Qaeda mastermind.
The news of bin Laden's death was welcomed across the US and people gathered outside the White House just before midnight chanting USA, USA.