The debate is on, and Barack Obama has jumped right into it. Although Americans have welcomed the news of Osama bin Laden’s demise, there are still many who are looking for more closure. It’s one thing to say, “We got him,” and it’s another to see the proof. Many Americans want to see the photo of bin Laden’s body. However, the Obama administration has just announced that it will not release the photo. What do you think?
According to the Associated Press story on GOPUSA, because the “gruesome” image could be “inflammatory,” Obama will not be releasing the photo. This will only add to the debate and certainly to the outrage that many Americans will feel since there has been no proof provided at all to confirm bin Laden’s death.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the White House’s grappling with whether to release a gruesome photograph of Osama bin Laden, weighing the benefit of proving his death with the possibility the image could kindle an anti-American backlash.” Fox News has a story online which describes the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee as “expressing concern that there’s too much risk and too little benefit attached to releasing a photo of Usama bin Laden’s body.”
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., chairman of the intelligence committee, put out a statement opposing the release Wednesday morning. He told Fox News he’s using a simple test — if the release of the photo would make a village elder in Afghanistan less cooperative and less likely to snitch to U.S. troops about potential attacks, then he’s against it.
Rogers argued that conspiracy theorists will never be satisfied anyway, telling Fox News that releasing the picture could make things more difficult for soldiers in the field without dispelling the bin Laden myths.
According to Fox News sources, the photo of bin Laden “shows a large, open gunshot wound on bin Laden’s forehead, revealing brain matter.” Fox News adds that “a senior U.S. official who has had access to the images said one of bin Laden’s eyes is open while the other is ‘completely gone.'”
Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., who has seen a photo and confirmed that it shows bin Laden, disputed the notion the image is too gruesome for the public to see.
“Nobody wants to see a disturbing photograph, but for closure purposes, it should be released,” she told Fox News. “We don’t want to see conspiracy theories develop, particularly among the terrorists.”
Should the photograph have been released? Do you think there would be repercussions? Could they be any worse than what the terrorists are already planning? I personally feel that this national trauma deserves some sort of closure. Our fight against radical Islamic terrorism goes on, but our fight against bin Laden is done. Let’s close that chapter once and for all.
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Let us know what you think. Do you agree with Obama’s decision?
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