Friday, May 6, 2011

Debate, confusion on Bin Laden photos

President Obama is taking heat from both sides of the political divide for his decision not to release photographs of Osama bin Laden's body. Meanwhile, some lawmakers created confusion on Capitol Hill yesterday by mistakenly saying they had seen the controversial images, before backing off.

After mulling the issue for days, the White House announced yesterday that photos of the slain al Qaeda leader would not be made public. The president told 60 Minutes he wanted to ensure the images--said to be extremely gruesome--can't be used as an "incitement to violence" or as "propaganda tools."

Some GOP figures were quick to criticize the president's decision to keep the photos under wraps. Rep. Duncan Hunter, a California Republican, said this morning on CBS's "The Early Show" that the pictures would help bring "closure" for the families of 9/11 victims. And Sarah Palin tweeted yesterday afternoon that the photos should be released as a "warning to others seeking America's destruction," adding "No pussyfooting around."

Even some who are usually friendlier to the president have questioned his call. Jon Stewart argued on The Daily Show last night in favor of releasing the photos because "we can only make decisions about war if we see what war actually is."



 By: Zachary Roth – Thu May 5, 11:53 am ET

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