President Obama has told 60 Minutes reporter Steve Kroft that the White House won't be releasing photos of Osama bin Laden's corpse, CBS reports:
Republican House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said Wednesday that the Obama administration should not release the gruesome post-The killing of Osama bin Ladenmortem (sic) images, saying it could complicate the job for American troops overseas. Rogers told CBS News he has seen a post-mortem photo.
"The risks of release outweigh the benefits," he said. "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 Qaeda killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet," he continued. "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."
The photo is said to be extremely graphic, featuring a bullet wound to the head and exposed brain matter.
