The Situation Room, Pete Souza, 2011
On May 1, 2011, Pete Souza was inside the Situation Room as U.S. forces raided Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan and killed the terrorist leader. Yet Souza’s picture includes neither the raid nor bin Laden. Instead, he captured those watching the secret operation in real time. President Barack Obama made the decision to launch the attack, but like everyone else in the room, he is a mere spectator to its execution. He stares, brow furrowed, at the raid unfolding on monitors. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton covers her mouth, waiting to see its outcome. In a national address that evening from the White House, Obama announced that bin Laden had been killed.