Natalie Gonnella
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With the safety of US troops in mind, in a statement released today the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Mike Rogers expressed his opposition to the release of Government photos depicting the body of Osama bin Laden:
I don’t want to make the job of our troops serving in places like Iraq and Afghanistan any harder than it already is. The risks of release outweigh the benefits. 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.
Imagine how the American people would react if Al Qaida killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet. Osama bin Laden is not a trophy – he is dead and let’s now focus on continuing the fight until Al Qaida has been eliminated.
According to CBS News, in a recently recorded interview with 60 Minutes, President Obama offered a similar view as he explained why he has decided not to release the photos:
The risks of release outweigh the benefits...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...Osama bin Laden is not a trophy - he is dead and let's now focus on continuing the fight until Al Qaida has been eliminated.
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