How did the world's most wanted terrorist -- a 6-foot 4-inch tall man whose face was plastered on televisions around the globe -- manage to avoid capture for so long? Through disguise, deception and blind luck.
According to a 337-page dossier completed by Pakistani authorities and published by Al Jazeera, Osama bin Laden managed to live in Pakistan for nine years before his death by avoiding surveillance, employing disguises, seeking the help of dependable bodyguards and relying on the "gross incompetence" of the country's government and military.
The report was the result of a task force that began an investigation into soon after U.S. forces killed bin Laden in a May 2011 raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The results were suppressed by the Pakistani government, but leaked to Al Jazeera.
Some notable details from bin Laden's life on the lam:
* He reportedly hid in six residences -- all in Pakistan -- from 2002 to 2011. The final residence was a custom-built compound that no one in Abbottabad questioned during or after its construction, USA Today reported Bin Laden resided there for six years with his entourage of family members, his bodyguards and their families.
* Bin Laden shaved his beard and even wore a cowboy hat to avoid detection, The New York Times reported.
* Ibrahim al-Kuwaiti, one of bin Laden’s two trusted bodyguards, his wife Maryam and bin Laden once took a trip to a bazaar in Swat. During the ride, their vehicle was stopped by police for speeding. The officer, who spoke with al-Kuwaiti, reportedly failed to notice that one of the vehicle's passengers was a known terrorist and let them go, The Telegraph reported.
* When one of his bodyguard's daughters saw a picture of bin Laden on television, al-Kurwaiti banned all women from viewing any future broadcasts, Time reported.
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