Originally Posted By ecdc <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/us/politics/05binladen.html?hp" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05....html?hp</a> I tended to side with those who thought the photos should be released, but I find myself hard-pressed to disagree with the White House's logic: Those who want to believe bin Laden's alive will not be dissuaded by photos they will insist are faked. But it might spark outrage that could harm our soldiers or further make him a martyr. This way, he's just kind of vanished. There's nothing - not even an image to rally around. We control the story instead of his followers. I like that notion. BTW, Sarah Palin called this "pussyfooting around" by Obama. She really, truly sucks. Completely. The worst.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Palin is rapidly evaporating. Her brand of crazy doesn't sell so much anymore. She's only preaching to other nuts in the peanut gallery, and even Fox has cut back her airtime. For bin Laden zealots, photos of him dead would be like images of Christ on the cross. Why on earth would we want to provide them that? More importantly, for anyone out there teetering on the fence between choosing to be civilized or descending into terrorism, why give them a push toward the terrorism side? I can understand, from an antiseptic, libertarian, freedom of information standpoint, why someone might want to be for releasing the photos. But I sure see no upside for our national best interest.
Originally Posted By hopemax > I can understand, from an antiseptic, libertarian, freedom of information standpoint, why someone might want to be for releasing the photos. But I sure see no upside for our national best interest. < For this reason, I hope that photos are released some day. It doesn't have to be this year, this decade. But at some point. From a history perspective we have access to all sorts of photographs and documents from previous wars, so why not this one? But I agree that any release in the near future would mostly be about morbid curiosity and would inflame an already highly charged situation. The media would whip it up in a frenzy, and it wouldn't be relegated to a page in a history tome somewhere.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Maybe 50 years from now, when they can be viewed in their proper context, fine. I am sure, eventually, they will be released. I'm trying to think of a precedent. We choose not to show executions on TV for a reason. Did the footage of Saddam Hussein being hung help us in any way? It just feels unneccesary to me. I don't think it would act as a deterrent to anyone -- people who follow bin Ladens of the world quite readily hijack and crash airplanes. I guess at best it could be dispiriting to some al Queda members for awhile. But sooner or later, they'd convince themselves the photos were faked, and Obama simply ascended into Terrorist Heaven as a deity, so the gory photos were merely Photoshopped U.S. propaganda.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer "For bin Laden zealots, photos of him dead would be like images of Christ on the cross." I'm trying to wrap my head around that one...
Originally Posted By pecos bill The thing is, they know Bin Laden is dead. There will be no more videos of him, and eventually he will fade from memory. I am sure if he had the choice, he would want to show the photos. I totally agree with the White House, they are taking the higher road by not caving in.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt The first thing I thought when I heard this news is that Trump's hair is probably preparing to pounce.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 "Palin is rapidly evaporating" Yes, I think she peaked some months ago, and Bachmann is the new nutcase de jure.
Originally Posted By Donny Did you know that the Pakistanies released pictures of the bodies that were left.I wonder where the Muslim outcry will be there ?
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Obama apparently said (in an interview that will air on 60 Minutes on Sunday) that Gates and Clinton agreed it was best not to release them. And the way he put it, "We don't need to spike the football," is really apt. You just know Bush would have spiked it, and been strutting around for a month.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Did you know that the Pakistanies released pictures of the bodies that were left.I wonder where the Muslim outcry will be there ?" I think that's different that the POTUS releasing photos of a dead Osama bin Laden as some sort of trophy.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>The first thing I thought when I heard this news is that Trump's hair is probably preparing to pounce.<< ROFL!
Originally Posted By ecdc >>You just know Bush would have spiked it, and been strutting around for a month<< He would've needed an even bigger aircraft carrier with an even bigger sign and, most important, an even bigger codpiece.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost I think that those that want to see the pictures have some serious problems that they should discuss with someone. The government could only cover up a mistaken identity for the briefest of time. I think by now ole Bin would have been making the statement that the report of his death had been greatly exaggerated if it wasn't him. That's one reality that cannot go on unnoticed. I think it is safe to believe the government on this one. It's too easily refuted. So they got their birth certificate and they have a pretty good idea that Mr. Laden is DOA. Shouldn't that make them happy?
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder I agree with the decision not to release them. There are some things we just don't need to see. This is one of them. I've talked to someone with knowledge of them, who says it is fair to say they are gruesome. Moreover, if they were to get out, we don't need to see the pictures on t-shirts, coffee mugs or posters. And you know we would.
Originally Posted By Labuda "I think that those that want to see the pictures have some serious problems that they should discuss with someone." Indeed.
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 My feeling on the photos is regardless what the administration would have done, I didn't need to see them. So not releasing them is fine by me, but I wouldn't have objected if they did. One word of warning, if you get an email saying it's the photos do not open it. It's likely a virus.
Originally Posted By Mr X I agree with you DD. We can trust in the integrity of the special ops units and the Seals on this one as far as I'm concerned (if THEY are all a bunch of liars, that means the world is lacking in integrity and I refuse to believe that!). And I would hope the President might make available the death photos to victims' families around the world if they should wish it and need it. THAT, at least, I hope he will respect but I'm not privy to top level determinations to say the least (If *I* were President, that's they way I'd proceed...share to photos on a "need to know" basis for the victims of ladens horrors, but nothing more beyond that). That'd be my 2 cents anyway. and I'm pretty disgusted with right wing sites such as Fox and Drudge and others bitching about the President and his decisions right now...distasteful AND inappropriate, to say the least!
