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Subscribe to RSSThe president has decided not to release photographs of Osama bin Laden's body, according to a senior White House official.
*** UPDATE *** Here is what President Obama told Steve Kroft of "60 Minutes" about his decision. The interview will air on Sunday.
"The risks of release outweigh the benefits," he said. "Conspiracy theorists around the world will just claim the photos are doctored anyway, and there is a real risk that releasing the photos will only serve to inflame public opinion in the Middle East."
"Imagine how the American people would react if Al Qaeda killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet," he continued. "Osama bin Laden is not a trophy - he is dead and let's now focus on continuing the fight until Al Qaeda has been eliminated."
*** CORRECTION *** Those quotes above are from House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, not President Obama. (It's unclear why CBS decided not to release quotes from the president in its story about the news.)
Here is what Obama told "60 Minutes," per White House Press Secretary Jay Carney: "We've done DNA sampling and testing. There is no doubt we killed Osama bin Laden." Obama went on to say that releasing the photos could incite violence and run contray to America's values. "We don't trot out this stuff as trophies... We don't need to spike the football."
*** UPDATE 2 *** NBC's Athena Jones reports:
At the top of the briefing this afternoon, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney shared the exchange President Obama had with 60 Minutes' Steve Kroft in his interview today during which he explained his rationale for not releasing photos of bin Laden's body.
Obama said he had seen the photos and they proved, along with facial analysis and DNA evidence, that the US team had killed bin Laden.
KEY OBAMA QUOTE TO KROFT:
"It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence or as a propaganda tool. That's not who we are. We don't trot out this stuff as trophies. The fact of the matter is this was somebody who was deserving of the justice that he received and I think Americans and people around the world are glad he is gone, but we don't need to spike the football. And I think that given the graphic natures of these photos, it would create some national security risk and I've discussed this with Bob Gates and Hillary Clinton and my intelligence teams and they all agree."
In the interview scheduled to air on Sunday, the president said officials were monitoring worldwide reaction to news of the mission and that there was no doubt bin Laden was dead.
Obama told Kroft:
"Certainly there is doubt- no doubt among Al Qaeda members that he is dead. And so we don't think that a photograph in and of itself is going to make any difference. There are going to be some folks who deny it. The fact of the matter is, you will not see bin Laden waling on this earth again."
Leave a Comment:
Interesting only internet weenies seem to doubt that OBL is dead...any actual officials deabting this fact? Even winger radio clips I've heard have only slammed him for taking credit for ordering the attack....
At first I thought the White House really needed to release the photos to put people at ease, but I figure that some people will claim its a fake anyway. I'm guessing the reactions from all over the world, including Pakistanis, Al Qaeda, etc. can assure us all that bin Laden is really dead.
But for those of you who really want to see the photos...don't worry. I'm sure it'll show up on Wikileaks someday.
Aye photos won't prove anything to those who refuse to believe. Like the long-form bs, he releases it and now they not only call that a fake, they want transcripts.
That's the right call. For those conspiracy theorists who will no doubt question the action - too bad. Deal with it. Those who matter know the truth.
...conveniant! This is a bad call by Obama. The people deserve to see proof. Than again, I don't believe the body was left at sea... It's in DC for sure. It's so customary to always believe blindly in the message of the media and messages given to the media to be relayed. Wake up people.
To me it makes no difference..show it or not..life goes on.
I already know what a head shot looks like.
The guy that altered his birth certificate obviously couldn't get death photos done quick enough. Why would anyone believe a Muslim that claims he is responsible for killing another Muslim? Democrats probably! Oh well, 4 years is almost up!
Grow the hell up? How do we know you are not a Muslim as well and if you are would it make a difference?
Get real Christina-2994381. Perhaps you should also get informed. Why should Obama have to go to special lengths to prove he is a US citizen. He has already gone way above and beyond providing what he has provided. No other President has been asked to provide this information.
And your remark about Obama as a muslim is as low as it gets. If the man says he is a Christian, he is a Christian. If he is a muslim, WHO CARES. Freedom of religion? Check the Constitution. (I can provide a link if you are having trouble finding it).
GIVE IT A REST AND FOCUS ON THE REAL ISSUES. Oh wait, this is why you are focusing on this. You don't have any real issues to focus on!
Christina, your comment is full of hate and ignorance. Not everyone may be liberal or a Democrat, but comments like yours are just geared towards attacking Obama and others personally. It's actually people like you, not Muslims or Mexicans, that are slowly destroying this country.
Wow! You really believe he managed to get a whole state government to lie about his birth?
You people are just too funny!
Well lets see.....it was ok to publish photos of people falling to their death off the WTC? It was ok to publish photos of the dead and the maimed. I disagree......PUBLISH THE PHOTOS and lets get closure and move on.
At first, I was undecided and then I read your comment and I have to agree with you. All those poor people did was go to work that day. We deserve to see this mans death mask
I agree with you, it was okay to show Saddam & his sons on a slab? Why is that? This man planned a mass killing against US and we are worried the we may offend the Muslim community! Tell that to the victims.
I think it was very smart of the President. I mean, what else would have Donald Trump, Michelle Bachman, Allen West, and all the other Tea Party crazies had to worry about if the picture was released. Now they can continue to focus on this rather than deal with the real issues facing our country.
Yeah, I don't really want to see a picture of Osama Bin Laden with a chunk of his forehead missing. I'm glad they're not releasing it.
Also: Shortest. Article. Ever. Seriously, it's only one sentence long.
Thanks for this news and thanks Mark, Domenico, et al for the chance to let us all voice our concerns. I think this is absolutely the right thing to do. This action of releasing the photo's would have built up a great deal of resentment, just as happened when the torture stories surfaced.
This was a brave call, not to submit to popular demand. It would be tragic if anyone were endangered or harmed in retaliation just because some people need their blood and gore fix. We don't need the photos to prove Bin Laden's death. That sort of paranoia has been discredited with the birth certificate released last week.
Worried about upsetting the Muslim community ? From recent reports most Muslims worldwide are glad he's dead too so the only ones upset would be his followers and sympathizers. I say do it and bring them out in the open so we know who they are. I think this will retract his nine point gain.
No need to inflame, if releasing pictures would endanger even one soldier, its not worth it. You just have to find someting wrong with Obama even with this, don't you? As far as people that dont thnk he is really dead, they wouldnt believe pictures either.
Did you like images of dead soldiers hanging from the bridge in Bosnia or zSomalia, whereever that was? etc? Its not civilized to publish that stuff. Sometime down the road I'm sure the pictures will be leaked out so you can see them for whatever reason you think that you should see them.
I said nothing against Obama. I think it's the wrong call, period. We are supposed to live in a free society where people can make their own choices for themselves, not have them made by some government official.
Soldier's Dad, you can make any choices you want. You just can't tell the government what to do when it comes to these sensitive issues. You're perfectly entitled to think it's the wrong call. Where you are wrong is thinking that your "choice" is the administrations obligation. Use some common sense.
Either decision to release or not to release had its own merits. The president came down on the side of caution in not wanting to inflame muslim sentiment. I personally wanted to see the photos and regret that I wont be able to do so. I doubt seriously if the photos will forever be withheld. Only for now.
Unacceptable. My tax money contributed to the funding of this supposed execution and I want to see the bastard dead.
So much for transparency.
God I'm hoping you are being sarcastic Joe
Another good call.
Good decision, President Obama (and I'm a Republican!). The release of those photos would have been too inflamatory. Good job, Mr. President!
Well at least he is consistent about worrying more what the Muslim reactions will be rather than satisfying what the American voters want.
Considering 90% of the posts so far have been against releasing the pics, you outta reconsider your statement. Then again, for you it's not really about the photos, is it?
Chris-exactly. You hit the nail on the head.
I think he satisfied the desire of the American voter by killing Osama Bin Laden.
Obama still has my vote for the next Election, But i think he should have released the Photos. Most Americans are having a hard time taking the governments word for things, so they really need to start showing proof when they do things.
Good decision Mr. President. You took the high road and did not cave to the deathers.
Very good call on the part of our president.
The only reason to release the photo is to convince doubters in the US that he is dead, and I am convinced that certain elements of the Republican Party (including Tea Party people and "birthers") wouldn't believe it anyway. So, what's the point? On the other hand, releasing the photo would likely stir up more anti-American feeling in the Islamic world.
Not releasing the photo seems like the proper thing to do.
Good decision imo. Either way there will be one group of people unhappy but the minority is on the side wanting to see the pics. This could be interpreted like the birther issue - even if he releases photos the people who are 100% set on denial will still deny it and we will end up pissing off a lot of people - terrorists and muslims thinking we are desecrating a dead man's "body" etc.
Once again I am proud he is my President!!!! To GrampaSImpson I bet your BC is a fake too!!!!
Do you really trust the word of the American government? We will never know for sure he is dead until the photos are released.
If you don't want to see them, don't look at them. The rest of us want proof.
In this day and age, you consider a picture proof? LOL I got soon cool UFO photos for you.
If they are lying and he is alive do you think he would keep quiet?
Paul. It's true that photos can be manipulated, but a photo is better than no proof at all. The Obama administration has offered no evidence that the person they claim to have killed and buried at sea is Osama. I will not take their word on this, the photos should have been released.
And no, I don't think Osama would keep quiet if he is still alive, but that doesn't prove he is dead. For all we know he is sitting in military custody right now.
Kevin Smith-3423956, do you think Elvis is still alive?
All in all, the right decision. Conspiracy freaks would only claim the photos were doctored, Muslims would just be insulted and outraged (as usual) over some unintentional or imagined slight or oversight. Who needs the aggravation?
IMHO, he definitely should "release" the photos to specific groups (e.g., Hamas and their ilk, Middle East leadership, etc.) who look for excuses to hate us and need to see proof of death.
Other than that, bin Laden's permanent absence from the airwaves ought to convince everyone else who can be convinced.
I'm okay with the decision. OBL is DEAD!!!! If others want to refute and deny that he is, too bad! The burden of proof is on others to prove he isn't dead! NAVY SEALS won't lie.