Bill Clinton on When He Heard of Bin Laden's Death

In an interview airing Thursday, former President Bill Clinton recounted to Ellen DeGeneres how he learned of the assassination of Osama Bin Laden one year ago by an elite team of U.S. Navy SEALS.

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"I'm pretty sure that I was notified by the White House, not the State Department," said Clinton, indicating that his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kept mum on the subject. "[Hillary] never said a word to me about this, which is exactly the right thing."

Clinton explained that as a former president of the United States he is allowed to get briefings from the CIA on a daily basis. He chooses to deny himself this privilege "unless the president or the National Security Council want [him] to have it," because he doesn't want to "inadvertently say something that complicates their job" during one of his frequent speaking engagements.

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Watch the video for more. The Ellen DeGeneres Show airs weekdays. Check your local listings.