"Geronimo" And Other Code Names (PHOTOS)

"We have a visual on Geronimo," CIA director Leon Panetta told President Obama and his advisors, according to The New York Times.

He was using the the code name assigned to Osama bin Laden while narrating the May 2 U.S.-led operation that killed the al Qaeda leader.

The Telegraph reports why the code name Geronimo was assigned to bin Laden:

The code name Geronimo had apparently been chosen for bin Laden because, like the Native American chief, he had managed to evade capture for years and was apparently able to vanish into thin air.

In Geronimo's case his ability to stay on the run gave rise to legends that he was able to walk without leaving any tracks, and that he could survive being shot.

American intelligence organizations have assigned code names for high-profile individuals for years, not only for fugitives, but also for foreign heads of state, journalists and politicians.

Check out the slideshow below to see code names the CIA has given other historical figures.