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Subscribe to RSSRepublican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Wednesday that President Barack Obama’s decision not to release photos of Osama bin Laden’s corpse is a “mistake” that could “unnecessarily prolong” the debate over what the United States should have done in the wake of the al Qaeda leader’s death.
“I respectfully disagree with President Obama's decision not to release the photos,” Graham said in a written statement. It's a mistake.”
Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a leading Republican voice on national security issues, does not dispute that bin Laden has been killed but argues that definitive public proof would underscore his demise and protect the nation’s interests.
"The whole purpose of sending our soldiers into the compound, rather than an aerial bombardment, was to obtain indisputable proof of bin Laden's death,” he said. “I know bin Laden is dead. But the best way to protect and defend our interests overseas is to prove that fact to the rest of the world.”
Earlier this week, Graham raised concerns about the speed with which bin Laden’s body was buried at sea – a move that administration officials said was in accordance with Islamic law.
“This idea of disposing the body within 24 hours because of tradition bothers me a bit because we will be under attack as to whether or not it really was him,” Graham said on Fox News Radio. “And I’m not so sure that was a wise move.”
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"Goofy Graham" is another "Gross Odd Person" (GOP) not understanding moral standards in a Democracy like ours. The President is correct in his decision, and the President thought this out carefully. The GOP/RNC do not understand that releasing Bin Laden's photo' will only stir up the radicals in the Middle East, and through out the world. The GOP/RNC are not aware of historical facts, and they remain in their fictional rewrites of history. Fact! Torture did not work in this case or in any other cases. Fact! President Bush did nothing to help kill Bin laden. Look at his White House Presidential Press Conferences of old "Brainless" in 2002-2003. President Bush had no interest of getting the most evil individual in recent history. Fact! "Puppet Palin" is mentally ill to think that she was part of this mission. Fact! President Bush and VIce President Cheney have recently admitted to torture which is a war crime. They need to be prosecuted immediately. Fact! History will record that it was President Obama planned the killing of Bin Laden, and not President Bush. Way to go Mr. President!
Bush refused to show the caskets of our honored dead returning home. "Nuthin to see here folks". This was to sanitize an unneeded, un-paid-for war, hence anesthetizing public perception. But this is different.
The macabre exhibition of bin Laden's remains won't make him any deader. I guarantee it.
Bin Laden has already had far more than his 10 minutes of fame and the damage he has done America will outlive him by centuries.
Someone once observed that bin Laden's objective was not to engage the U.S.A. militarily. No. He knew better. His objective was to make America drain its Treasury in a futile quest for his head.
He sought to bleed America white.
He has prevailed. He beat America the only way you can: from within; by turning us against one another.
I'm glad he's dead, and President Obama subjected him to the best use I can think of for a terrorist: fish food. But once this dies down let us remember OBL's prime objective and start the process of carrying on with life after OBL.
Let us defeat HIM by thwarting his prime objective. Bring home our troops. Remain vigilant. Begin healing.
i find it extremely troubleing that this goofball says the whole purpose of sending special forces in to get Osama was to be able to prove he was killed. This crackhead is on the senate arms committee ???? I am no military person and dont pretend to be but i think common logic would tell you that there were many different reasons to send in special forces in this situation with one especially being all the evidence they obtained about Al Queida operations. They got phone #'s. computers, hard drives , and no telling what else they are not telling about........When i hear goofballs like this speak it hella makes me wonder how in the hell they get elected......says volumes about the ones that put people like this in office...........where does this off the wall goofball think anyone has to prove anything to him or anyone else for that matter. Especially you conspiricy idiots.........wise up for once and act like you know what to do with that brain god gave you other than to use it to run your off the wall mouth..............
maybe he should go to Dover AFB and look at the caskets of our fallen military heroes and maybe say a prayer or two for them and their loved ones. That would be time better spent than looking at pictures of dead bin laden
Well, if my hidden agenda was to fan the flames of war, I reckon that I'd demand the photos be made public, too. Nothin like gore and guts of an enemy to get our juices flowing for more; and nothin like the desecration of an admired hero to bring the rebellion to a boil.
We took care in WWII and kept our arrogance in check. We didn't unnecessary flog the Japanese and German people just because we were angry. We just did what we had to do and were successful. It did more to fix a problem that anything else we've done since. Osama bin Laden needed to be found, and we did what we had to do. But I'll wager that Obama's showing respect for a dead man will do more good for us in the world and help fix the bigger problem than all these stupid wars we waged over the past 10 years.
When Lindsey is president he can make the call but for this event, he wasn't president. So he should simply let it go. Those pictures are not going to do anyone any good to see. We don't need to stoop to the level of bin laden and his followers. We should be above that mentality.
People need to stop with the conspiracy theroy garbage. The pictures are circulating within the ranks of the military as if it were a chain mail. Plenty of people have seen these images. The corpse images are so extremely gruesome that I understand why the public should not see this. The burial images wouldn't prove a thing so no need there either. It comes down to two things. One, if you release the photos he is more likely to be viewed a martyr. Two, enough people have these photos so they WILL leak. I bet the government knows this so they can wash their hands of any responsibility by witholding for now.
sfilutze - "So Ms. Lindsey is upset too dam bad..." Lindsey is a man, but that is some funny s#&%! And I agree, if it isn't one thing it'd be another.
I miss the logic; "...the best way to protect and defend our interests overseas is to prove that fact to the rest of the world." ???
This guy never disappoints. I'm sure if Obama released the photos he'd be accusing him of damaging our interests overseas and putting our military and nation at risk...jerk.
A mistake because our nation won't suffer another backlash due to the stupidity of our elected officials-- a mistake because you people won't have it to use during the reelection campaign--a mistake because you can't campaign on National security (of which you're pi$$ poor at...sheesh!
The current Republican play book plan is to keep this in the news as long as possible ...this moron Lindsey Graham needs to stop talking about it ..he was killed thank you ..... now shut up about it ...
How about you fools in the senate do some work for once ! We have bigger fish to fry now !
DNA typing is far more precise than a photograph and a photograph can be manipulated with software. Perhaps Graham should get with the 21st century.
Graham's an @!$%#. Who cares what he thinks?
Graham can bite me! I have school age children in middle school and elementry school but old enough they use the internet for alot of stuff! I do not want my children to accidently run accross this garbage! Not to mention the absolute morons that would plaster it on t shirts and sell them all over the place! I wouldnt want my kids running in to that either! People are selfish and greedy and it needs to stop! As much as i would not mind some proof i do not want it at the cost of our youth and small childrens loosing a piece of innocence! People do not care that some of us would not want them to released for these very specific reasons all they care about is their own selfish motive in it! I keep seeing comments all over the web that say " I have the right to see them i want them!" First of all you do not have that right to just view any dead body you want to! Get a copy of your rights as a UNITED STATES CITIZEN i am pretty damn sure viewing pictures of OBL dead body is not listed!
Your desire not to see them, or your children not see them, shouldn't superscede my ability to do so. The government should allow viewings of the photos by citizens and taxpayers in secure facilities around the country, by appointment if necessary.
Paul. Not on my tax dime.
You don't get to decide how your tax dollars are spent. You have no veto power. GFY
Paul you can pay for that i have no interest in it there for why should our tax dollars be used so you can see it? Secure facilities my behind it would get leaked anyways if they did that there is no point all it does is giv eyou piece of mind and satisfaction. Last time i checked you satisfaction and piece of mind wsa your responsibility not everyone elses and not the governments! IF you need a photo for that even after his family is confirming his death you and everyone else has far more to worry about! The safty of young people and children and comming away from all of those awful things on tv for so long when the attacks happened is somthing we need to get away from. Those images are burned into peoples minds it is not somthing you can get rid of not to mention how hard it must be for the families who lost loved ones in it! Do they really deserve to have all of this 10 years later still thrown out in public for their families to see too? Obamas correct in his statement our country is better than that at least to me it is!
If the human race is to survive to adulthood, it is up to us (the western world) to lead the primitives by example. We cannot resort to barbarism simply to sate our (understandable) desire for revenge. We acted properly to visit justice upon a monstrous criminal. There is no need to parade his severed head through the streets or post gruesome death photos in order to gloat about it. That simply would not be civilized. We are Americans. We are the best and most civilized country on this planet. We must act the part.
Frankly. I think it is great, the saner of the conservatives like Romney are trying to keep their heads down, but in the long run he, and they, are going to have to answer the birther and other questions. Either way they lose, if they deny the conspiracy they alienate the black helicopter crowd, if they support it, they lose everyone else. So I say to the teabaggers, keep it up.
President Obama: "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."
Senator Graham: "The whole purpose of sending our soldiers into the compound, rather than an aerial bombardment, was to obtain indisputable proof of bin Laden's death. I know bin Laden is dead. But the best way to protect and defend our interests overseas is to prove that fact to the rest of the world."
I respect both positions, but it appears the issue is no longer open for discussion. It seems to me that those who need to know that bin Laden is dead have received the message loud and clear.
Bets on how long before these photos get leaked? Obama has stated his position. So isn't it just a matter of time before someone with a political agenda leaks them, then chastises Obama and accuses him of going back on his word?
For the first time in 9 years a President put the safty of our troops first while Senator Graham wants to incite more violence and murder. Americans are smart they know foreign countries have the proof and it's up to their leaders what to do with the information but the USA will not play a part in that sickness. We believed every lie Bush told and then learned later and still some hold on to the Bush lies. Obama did his job without headlines for 2 years by just getting the job done. Senator Brown is even lying saying he saw the photos yet he never did. Americans might want to try and support our troops even if they don't like Obama.
Heey fiesty
Can adam schift democrat from ca bite you too.
He's on fink ogres show now saying obama should put the picture out
Maybe he's gay too right? ..........kkrimmer
Should be interesting at ground zero obama will have shoes thrown at him by his own countrymen
What a fool. Obama turns chicken salad into chicken sh*t
Democrates, whoever sit on National Security Committee, should comment her comments.
Graphic body shots of 9/11 victims were not distributed, out of concern for the families. Osama has estranged family members, siblings and his mother, they deserve respect too. I don't know if Obama considered that or not, but gruesome pictures of death, including our troops, are justifiably withheld. There is no excuse for the public exposure of gruesome pictures of anyone. We have many reasons to not make the pictures public. Basic human decency qualifies too.
The right decision was made. Conspiracy folks won't be mollified by pictures, Osama's head on a stick, or a stuffed Osama. Most of 'em don't believe Obama's birth certificate. The mistake was going into Iraq instead of using our resources at Tora Bora. Now, the mastermind behind 9/11 has been properly found, tried and executed. Sort of like Timmy McVeigh on steroids.
Do you not understand what a trial is, or what it is for, the purpose it serves?
The bastard is dead, seeing a photo does not make him any less dead. His people know that he is dead and they could be next, which is probably a decent strategy going forward with this group, let them sweat a bit.