Will not release Photos of Osama-US

5 May 2011 03:27 am - 36 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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US President Barack Obama said that he will not release gruesome photos of Osama bin Laden's corpse.

"We don't trot out this stuff as trophies," Obama told Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes. "We don't need to spike the football."

Obama also said he wanted 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," Obama said.

Some aides and members of Congress backed release of the photos to answer conspiracy theorists who claim bin Laden remains at large.

In his 60 Minutes interview, Obama cited photos, facial recognition technology, and DNA evidence as proof that a weekend raid in Pakistan was successful.

"There is no doubt that we killed Osama bin Laden," Obama said.

Other aides and lawmakers had objected to release of death photos of bin Laden because they could increase the threats to Americans overseas.

"The risks of release outweigh the benefits," said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., who chairs the House Intelligence Committee. "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."

CIA Director Leon Panetta, in media interviews and briefings to members of Congress, had indicated that the administration planned to release post-mortem pictures of bin Laden, though other White House officials stressed in recent days that a final decision had not been made.

Press secretary Jay Carney said Obama did not make a final decision until this morning.

It applies "all visual evidence," the spokesman added, including videos.

The administration also has video of bin Laden's burial at sea, shortly after the world's leading terrorist was shot to death by a Navy SEAL during the raid.

The photos in question are "gruesome," Carney said, one reasons some administration officials -- including Obama -- objected to their release.

The president and aides had also sought to gauge reaction to a photo release including in the Muslim world and whether jihadists may try to use the photos as a new rallying cry.

A partial transcript of the 60 Minutes interview:

OBAMA: "When they landed we had very strong confirmation at that point that it was him. Photographs had been taken. Facial analysis indicated that in fact it was him. We hadn't yet done DNA testing, but at that point we were 95 percent sure."

Question: "Did you see the pictures?"

OBAMA: "Yes."

Question: "What was your reaction when you saw them?"

OBAMA: "It was him."

Question: "Why haven't you released them?"

OBAMA: "You know, we discussed this internally. Keep in mind that we are absolutely certain that this was him. We've done DNA sampling and testing. And so there is no doubt that we killed Osama bin Laden.

"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. You know, that's not who we are. You know, we don't trot out this stuff as trophies.

"You know, 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 that he is gone. But we don't need to spike the football, and I think that, given the graphic nature 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."

Question: "There are people in Pakistan, for example, who say, 'Look, this is all a lie. Obama, this is another American trick. Osama is not dead.'"

OBAMA: "You know, the truth is that we are monitoring worldwide reaction. There is no doubt that bin Laden is dead. 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 walking on this Earth again.

(USA Today)

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Comments - 36

Percy Wijenayake Thursday, 05 May 2011 12:33 PM

Bin Ladens'sbody should never have been dumped in the sea. His body should be made available for forensic work and tests.

rosh Thursday, 05 May 2011 05:29 AM

May be actually not Osama it ws killed then.

Athula Thursday, 05 May 2011 05:33 AM

Than Lo kema byite eka Obama wela. owa gana ganna epa , apita nam thawa sumanaykin amthaka weyi sri lanka england cricket mathc eka .. patangannawa ..

ind Thursday, 05 May 2011 05:31 AM

The rejoice over the End of War.

ind Thursday, 05 May 2011 05:37 AM

Do they have earlier sample to compare ??

Wara Thursday, 05 May 2011 05:38 AM

May be. But definitely not killed by air strike.

Wara Thursday, 05 May 2011 05:38 AM

Or may be under construction !!

Nihal Fernando Thursday, 05 May 2011 08:15 AM

There should be a proof of birth and death. That was the very reason GoSL issued India with a death certificate of Prbhakaran.

nausea Thursday, 05 May 2011 08:18 AM

You don’t need to have early samples. Having blood samples of Bin’s close relatives are more than enough. Close relatives have similar DNA chains.

Athula Thursday, 05 May 2011 05:23 AM

Sir Obama , Show the photgraphs of 9/11 to the whole world every day and say that you killed terrorism and sing " ' for a better world for you and for me and the entire human race ....."

MagodisThuma Thursday, 05 May 2011 12:36 PM

I'm sure US has not killed Osama bin Laden. They would not just buried such a lot of valuable information's in the sea.

ajith Thursday, 05 May 2011 01:03 PM

Banki Mama,Take action against this Obama Pandith who is hiding the truth.

isham Thursday, 05 May 2011 01:00 PM

if obama wont publish the photos of osama death. it must be a fake news and it must be a big worse film in the year

panchaudaya Thursday, 05 May 2011 01:08 PM

like KP

Yehiya-Doha Thursday, 05 May 2011 01:27 PM

Corpse picture is most fear than alive.

kalaweda Thursday, 05 May 2011 02:12 PM

US govt. in fear of being attacked by the Islamist terrorists so it doesnt publish Osama's photos

Farzan Thursday, 05 May 2011 03:10 PM

It is not the reason, the reason is that photo is gruesome. They taurtured even the dead body. Test you general knowledge.

Karu Friday, 06 May 2011 04:38 AM

Obama........If you scare to release the photo , this kind of mentality will boost the Al Qaeda overcome from defeat easily....

osama Thursday, 05 May 2011 04:31 AM

Not to worry.. everything will release later like wiki -Leakes & Ban Ki Moon's Panel Report.on US war crimes...

spark Thursday, 05 May 2011 03:59 AM

Get trained by the sinhalese on how to display and rejoice over a dead corpse, like the way Pirapakarans dead body was shown and displayed on TV.

Mallika Thursday, 05 May 2011 03:59 AM

Mr. Obama.. Elaborate more please. A person who was needed for 10 Years was shot dead and no solid evidence given to the public...

Hassan Thursday, 05 May 2011 04:06 AM

ok Sir If you say that its ok. you are the judge and the jury. Monkey Moon also will say yes for you Sir. Because you are the Policeman of the world.

Geriatrix Thursday, 05 May 2011 04:08 AM

The battle may have been won, but the war is not over.... until Israel recognizes Palestine as a state, stop grabbing Palestine land and hand over the occupied land this war is never going to end. As long as USA keeps petting Israel, terrorists will thrive...

Forever Srilankan Thursday, 05 May 2011 04:11 AM

Don’t worry. We will wait till Wikileaks releases it.

Geriatrix Thursday, 05 May 2011 04:14 AM

How do u know he must be still alive and saying "Let the world think iam dead...so now they wont come after me"... Iam becoming suspicious... USA not handing out the image, quick burial at sea (which is not acceptable).... with today's technology any fabrication is possible

cpp Thursday, 05 May 2011 04:24 AM

He seems replying somebody.

samosa Thursday, 05 May 2011 04:10 AM

they showed Sadaam's haging, then why can't they show Osama? US certainly knew that Osama is no more. He died few years before. But no evidence. In fact no videos issued with Osama for past years. To pull out US troops from Afgan, created all these stories.

ind Thursday, 05 May 2011 03:55 AM

WikiLeaks over to you !!

malkanthi Thursday, 05 May 2011 04:47 AM

If Al Qaeda confirms then it's true. When Prabakaran was killed the diaspora refuted, but truth cannot be hidden. The present manipulation is such, anything is possible, but what's the use arguing over a corpse?

malkanthi Thursday, 05 May 2011 04:50 AM

It was rejoice over the death of an evil man, mass murderer but corpse was to confirm he is dead to our guys who do not believe anything but a corpse!

Thariq Thursday, 05 May 2011 05:01 AM

one point he says DNA test is not yet done, for the next question he says they have done the test and they are certain its him.. hmmm

Nishantha Thursday, 05 May 2011 05:05 AM

bcz they didnt kill him yet . he is still in custody . they have lots of information to know from him

Bush Thursday, 05 May 2011 05:03 AM

Mr. Obama, why not frame it and hang it in your living room.

Hinaa Paan Thursday, 05 May 2011 05:15 AM

US is lieying to the world. They dont have proof for bin laden death. One person can die only once and not many times....So lets think that Bin laden has dead many times..US capacity is revealed to the entire world from this act.

Sean Thursday, 05 May 2011 05:13 AM

It's a good move not release the graphic pictures of this piece of garbage.

lankaman Thursday, 05 May 2011 05:19 AM

exactly...like pottu amman

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Will not release Photos of Osama-US

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