Bowling Green Daily News: [POTUS Barack] Obama Was Right Not To Release Photos.
Obama was right not to release photos
The decision to not release pictures of the dead body of Osama bin Laden must have been a very difficult one for President Barack Obama.
On Wednesday, Obama ordered the grisly photos of bin Laden’s body - which are reported to show a portion of the terror leader’s skull blown away from a gunshot wound around his left eye - sealed from the public view, saying that “we don’t need to spike the football” in triumph after this week’s daring raid that took out the terror mastermind.
Obama went on to say releasing these pictures was “not who we are as a nation and that the fact of the matter is, you will not see bin Laden walking this Earth again.”
In many ways, it must have been a double-edged sword for Obama in deciding whether to release the photos. If available for public viewing, the pictures could have resulted in reprisal attacks on our country, our allies and our troops in the field. Releasing the pictures would’ve been proof of bin Laden’s demise for many people. However, al-Qaida leaders Friday acknowledged that bin Laden had been killed, which would seemingly take the air out of the sails of those who would question the matter.
Regardless, not releasing the photos might still leave some believing bin Laden is still alive. One only has to look at the weird conspiracy theories that still exist today, 40-plus years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and his brother, U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy, a few years later.
Not releasing the photos could have the effect of being a rallying call for Islamic extremists who may believe that since there is no proof of his death, news reports are simply American propaganda. Releasing the photos, on the other hand, could be used by our enemy as a propaganda tool.
It cuts both ways, but we believe at the end of the day, Obama made the right decision.
Historians, conspiracy theorists and talking heads will debate this decision for a long time, and that is their prerogative. But as long as we know that this monster will no longer be planning more attacks against us and that these graphic photos won’t inflame his supporters, then we agree with the decision made by our commander in chief.
The decision to not release pictures of the dead body of Osama bin Laden must have been a very difficult one for President Barack Obama.
On Wednesday, Obama ordered the grisly photos of bin Laden’s body - which are reported to show a portion of the terror leader’s skull blown away from a gunshot wound around his left eye - sealed from the public view, saying that “we don’t need to spike the football” in triumph after this week’s daring raid that took out the terror mastermind.
Obama went on to say releasing these pictures was “not who we are as a nation and that the fact of the matter is, you will not see bin Laden walking this Earth again.”
In many ways, it must have been a double-edged sword for Obama in deciding whether to release the photos. If available for public viewing, the pictures could have resulted in reprisal attacks on our country, our allies and our troops in the field. Releasing the pictures would’ve been proof of bin Laden’s demise for many people. However, al-Qaida leaders Friday acknowledged that bin Laden had been killed, which would seemingly take the air out of the sails of those who would question the matter.
Regardless, not releasing the photos might still leave some believing bin Laden is still alive. One only has to look at the weird conspiracy theories that still exist today, 40-plus years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and his brother, U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy, a few years later.
Not releasing the photos could have the effect of being a rallying call for Islamic extremists who may believe that since there is no proof of his death, news reports are simply American propaganda. Releasing the photos, on the other hand, could be used by our enemy as a propaganda tool.
It cuts both ways, but we believe at the end of the day, Obama made the right decision.
Historians, conspiracy theorists and talking heads will debate this decision for a long time, and that is their prerogative. But as long as we know that this monster will no longer be planning more attacks against us and that these graphic photos won’t inflame his supporters, then we agree with the decision made by our commander in chief.
Labels: News reporting
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 7:35 AM
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