White House Officials Debate Releasing Photographs of Bin Laden’s Corpse

[WilliamPitt]

White House Officials Debate Releasing Photographs of Bin Laden’s Corpse
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/05/white-house-officials-debate-releasing-photographs-of-bin-ladens-corpse-1.html

(snip)

The Obama administration has photographs of Osama bin Laden’s dead body and officials are debating what to do with them and whether they should be released to the public, officials tell ABC News.

“There’s no doubt it’s him,” says a US official who has seen the pictures and also reminds us that OBL was 6’4”.

The argument for releasing them: to ensure that the public knows and can appreciate that he's dead. There is of course skepticism throughout the world that the US government claim that it killed bin Laden is true.

The argument against releasing the pictures: they’re gruesome. He has a massive head wound above his left eye where he took bullet, with brains and blood visible.

===

What say you?

I say release them.

[Hosnon]

1. Release them. nt.

[seabeyond]

2. you do it, you are sick mofos. dont do it.... you didnt kill osama. hey.... we dems like to set

our pres up

given with repugs

but dems??????

[ret5hd]

3. Quit treating us as children.

[Barack_America]

9. They're not worried about offending us.

They don't want this to become a call to arms for future terrorists.

[KittyWampus]

13. Their primary concern is national security not your feelings.

[ret5hd]

23. The argument against releasing the pictures: they’re gruesome. He has a massive head wound...

above his left eye where he took bullet, with brains and blood visible.

[BooScout]

4. They will release them....

It's just a matter of when.

[Dennis Donovan]

5. If they don't release them, they'll make their way out somehow...

...so why not nip a leak in the bud and just release them?:shrug:

[Kali]

24. yep

[gratuitous]

6. I paid for it

I want to know some of the whys and wherefores when the inevitable revenge is exacted either on me or on someone I love or care about. Seems only fair, and some fairness in this whole disgusting episode should come out.

[Cleita]

7. How about they invite some reputable news organizations

like Al Jazeera, BBC and sure why not the American media whores too to view the corpse and then they can report to us that it is Osama bin Laden. I mention the two foreign media outlets for confirmation because they would be considered neutral and not part of our USA propaganda machine. I think that would satisfy most of us as unbiased reporting of an event. We don't need to look at the corpse.

[rsmith6621]

8. If Obama Does Not...

...The Rethugs will use it against him and they will form their own conspiracy theroy's... I want pictures all of the pictures like we had Saddam and Sons death pictures plastered all over the WEB....its called TRANSPARENCY....

[TTUBatfan2008]

10. Release them...

If for no other reason than shutting up the Teabaggers. But more importantly, we need to shut up the terrorist propaganda in the Middle East.

[kwolf68]

22. You think?

ANYTHING will shut up the TeaBagged Party?

[frazzled]

11. Isn't it against the Geneva Conventions?

I know this is a special situation, and that there needs to be long-form-birth-certificate-type proof that we actually got him. But I find the idea of releasing "death" photos repugnant, and too reminiscent of the types of things the terrorists themselves do (e.g., decapitation videos, etc.).

[The Wielding Truth]

12. Well, they have to show the pictures since he was buried ar sea.

[ChiciB1]

14. IT-MUST-BE-DONE!! There Should Be NO QUESTION About This...

Let us NOT give any REPUKE and reason to QUESTION ANYTHING! They will jump at ANYTHING, and if THIS hasn't been learned by now... IT NEVER WILL be learned!

[LeftinOH]

15. Gory photos of JFK's head wound are readily available; we can certainly handle OBL's death pic.. n/

[blondeatlast]

16. I'm afraid they must and it still won't be enough for the fringe. nt

[cyberpj]

25. Photoshop was the downfall of any photographic evidence being considered proof of anything. nt

[coalition_unwilling]

17. I'm of decidedly mixed feelings. I do think there is some stricture

in the Geneva Conventions (to which we are signatories) about pictorial images of enemies, but cannot remember if Geneva applies only to live captives or also to dead combatants.

Of course, if the pictures are released, we immediately lose any right whatsoever to complain any time our enemies release photographs of our dead, wounded or captured.

Set against that, I suppose releasing the photos might allay some skepticism and might even provide a tiny measure of closure to those whose lives OBL's actions hurt.

I say do not release them to the public at large.

[lonestarnot]

18. Why is this stupid question being discussed? Did anyone ask permission to show videos of people

jumping from the towers? Of course they should be released!

[coalition_unwilling]

19. Dupe - n/t

[MilesColtrane]

20. Release them, just not officially.

Leak them to Julian Assange

[MineralMan]

21. Release them. Those who need that assurance can view them.

The photos don't actually interest me. If they say they killed him, that's sufficient for me.

[Incitatus]

26. The argument against it is pretty weak. nt

[drm604]

27. With such a massive head wound would the pictures even be identifiable? n/t

[Dennis Donovan]

28. Several quotes from those who saw them say they recognized him immediately.

[nc4bo]

29. Release them all. nt