E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
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:
Good decision, President Obama (and I'm a Republican). The release of those photos would have been too inflamatory. There will always be those who think Elvis and OBL still live.
This is the right decision, Mr. President. Thank you
How long does it take for the terrorist to respond to an event or claim responsibility for something done? how long does it take for them to have denied or release a statement that the claims were not true. This alone is enough to let us believe that Osam is dead
They must be really gross looking
Oh thank goodness for this decision. So many American families have family members in southeast Asia and the middle east in the military, or traveling or are members of the media, as do our allies. To jeopardize our family members by releasing this photo so that fanatics can retaliate using our family members would be unconscienable. Thank you, thank you, thank you for caring about citizens abroad.
Well of course he can't show the pictures as we would then realize osama was NOT killed. Why else did he dump his body so quickly in the sea! Obama is the most worthless president in history. Taking all the credit for something BUSH did years ago. I thought obama said osama was NOT Muslim? So why is he NOW afraid to offend the Muslims?
I thought he wanted water boarding stopped? But isn't that how we got the info
on where osama was? obamama's whole speech about osama was, ME, I, ME, I, ME I.
No credit to where it should have gone...to Bush's polices over the past 10
years and to the brave men and women who went into that compound. Even though I
still think osama is NOT dead. obama needs his ratings to go up and he thought
we would forget about his rotten polices he has put into place the last 2.5
years. Did I mention how worthless obama is?
agreed
Anyone doubting Bin Laden is dead...is calling the Navy Seals liars. Cant have it both ways.
They should give those SEALS a month of leave, let them travel around the country knocking on Deather doors, and have them call them a liar to their face.
If Osama Bin Laden were still alive Al Jazira would have had a picture by now of him holding up Mondays Newspaper ! As far as I'm concerned, He's dead until HE proves otherwise.
Important Republicans are also saying pictures shouldn't be released. So, to folks criticising Obama, criticise your own party, too.
I am criticising him too....I don't have a PARTY...I am an American! Show the pictures!
They played the tapes of 9/11 hundreds of times, we all saw the plane's hit the towers over and over.Lets see the a**hole with his head blown open and his little F**king brain hanging out!!!!!!!
Disgusted!!! We the people of the United States are asking...demanding... that the photo(s) be released! It is not inflammatory at all. What is inflammatory is the video of our American brothers and sisters jumping from a 100+-story building to escape death by fire. Watching them jump, scream and then hit the ground is inflammatory but yet we see that! Why is it you need to protect the sensitivity of the radical muslim over the American People??? We didn't decapitate him, drag his decapitated body through the streets of New York while carrying his head on a stick. Our wonderful Seal team killed him and then respectfully, though undeserved, disposed of his body. This is a really bad decision made by the president. Prove to us Bin Laden is dead!!! We need to see it so we can truly believe it, process it, and then move on! Don't put the radical muslim's needs before the United States of America.
No Jessie, a small minority of people are asking for the pics. And by demanding them you tell everyone that you don't believe he's dead. While some of you don't mind calling the President a liar, to call those SEALS liars also is to do them a great disservice.
I don't believe I called our wonderful, amazing, brave Navy Seals liars. I think Bin Laden is dead but, I do believe the "minority" of people needing to see for themselves is really the MAJORITY of people. If you don't believe me read the blogs, talk to your neighbors, talk to strangers. I LOVE our military and have the greatest respect for them. I said don't put the radical muslims needs before ours. And that is what the president is doing. I don't agree that it will be any more inflammatory. As a matter of fact some of the accounts of his death are more inflammatory than an actual picture could ever be.
No one is putting radical Muslim's needs before the United States of America. 99% of Muslims are not radical. Why offend them when pictures wont be seen as proof anyway.
Remember an extremist group called al-Qaeda did this, not the Muslim religion
Oh man...let's not offend nobody by showing this dude in pictures. Hell I wasn't offended at watching Americans getting beheaded like a farm animal or those people jumping to their deaths at the WTC towers...another weak day in our beleaguered history! man up!
Disgusted by the sham of a Government we have. We showed pics and even video of Sadam HANGING but not one single pic of this rat bastard??
Didn't happen, it's all a FARCE!!!
"Wag the Dog" part 2.
safecracker, you're an idiot. It's Osama, not usama. Fox is full of crap.
Also, why wouldn't he show the picture? sees like it would be a good moral and propaganda boost for the U.S.A.
Sup guys,
You should take your gangsta rap education and research the various spelling for the dead guy.....you may be surprised.
It is important to have the facts prior to opening your mouth only to discover you state incorrect data.
Showing the pictures won't do much......the raghead:
1. Dead
2. Alive and in a US highly secure prison being questioned.
3. Alive in a foreign country.
Now pick what story you choose to believe........the guy is dead, enough said. Let's return to the issues facing the US due to the direction of this administration.
Bin Laden's first name can be spelled Usama or Osama...ever watch the news or read the newspaper. Be sure of what you speak of before calling others idiots. I think we know who the IDIOT is now. You've been schooled, son. Now sit down and shut up.
what a crock of bull@!$%# ....bin laden wasnt killed .its all bull@!$%# to get people to take there mind off the fact of the bitrh certificate and donald trump riding his ass with teh way things should be done ..if osama was dead they would would have throwed those photos up so damn fast ..to boost his polls...........geez come on.......the whole damn thing with we might post photos @!$%# was they if they did somewhere someone was going to study and break those photos down and find out they were fake ..........my opinion no photos then bin laden damn sure isnt dead .........scared to show proof but really build it up up on the internet and news .lol
Oh and the world will not go on until YOU are fully satisfied right?
WE WILL NEVER KNOW THE TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I dont know about the rest of us but that is certainly true for you.
Pussy move, just what I'd expect..spineless...
Timbo, I guess the strength of your objection reveals the depth of your childish hissy fit.
Well, if he had been taken alive, we wouldn't have to worry about conspiricy theories now would we?
Its all BS anyway. Doesn't change a thing. Time to leave there...NOW!
I agree with Obama on this one!
Good call on photos Obama! The photos will give terrorists more amunition, and bother more our national security. The media wants photos only for carnival atmosphere, while putting out national security at risk!
the terrorists don't need more ammunition - they are fueled solely on hate and they have plenty of THAT.
Its not entirely that we doubt this...we want to see him lying the hepless just like our fellow americans were because of him....i want a picture of him dead so i can frame it and laugh at that son of a bitch everyday of my life.
I am so glad about this! Either way, there will be critics but the release of the photo(s) would definitely inflame others. The media is currently excessive in its coverage of that event and I detest the interviews with minors about their feelings as it relates to their loss due to 9/11 and OBL's death. The media needs to act more responsibly and not inflamatory.
GOOD! If those critics are not satisfied with what the President has told the American people about getting Bin Laden, releasing pictures wont satisfy them either. So forget about it!
Do I believe he is dead? Yes! Would I have looked at his death photo if it had been released? Most likely! Do I believe that those who want to view the photo should be able to do so? Yes! What I don't want to happen is, if his photo had been released for Al Qaida to use bin Laden's photo to stir up their followers even more than they already have and I truly believe that is the effect the death photo would have on those people.