SEALS thought bin Laden threatening

Thursday, May 5, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama ordered grisly photographs of Osama bin Laden in death sealed from public view on Wednesday, declaring, “We don’t need to spike the football” in triumph after this week’s daring middle-of-the-night raid. The terrorist leader was killed by American commandos who burst into his room and feared he was reaching for a nearby weapon, U.S. officials said.

Several weapons were found in the room where the terror chief died, including AK-47 assault rifles and side arms, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they offered the most recent in a series of increasingly detailed and sometimes-shifting accounts of bin Laden’s final minutes after a decade on the run.

Obama said releasing the photographs taken by the Navy SEAL raiders was “not who we are” as a country. Though some may deny his death, “the fact of the matter is you will not see bin Laden walking this earth again,” the president said in an interview taped for CBS’ “60 Minutes.”

He said any release of the photos could become a propaganda tool for bin Laden’s adherents eager to incite violence.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said the president’s decision applied to photographs of bin Laden, said to show a portion of his skull blown away from a gunshot wound to the area of his left eye, as well as to a video recording of his burial several hours later in the North Arabian Sea.

After two days of shifting accounts of the dramatic raid, Carney said he would no longer provide details of the 40-minute operation by the team of elite Navy SEALs. That left unresolved numerous mysteries, prominent among them an exact accounting of bin Laden’s demise. Officials have said he was unarmed but resisted when an unknown number of commandos burst into his room inside the high-security compound.

The officials who gave the latest details said a U.S. commando grabbed a woman who charged toward the SEALs inside the room. They said the raiders were concerned that she might be wearing a suicide vest.

After two days of speculation about releasing the photographs, there was no detectable public debate in the U.S. about the merits of the raid itself against the man behind the terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11, 2001.

Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress the operation was “entirely lawful and consistent with our values” and justified as “an action of national self-defense.” Noting that bin Laden had admitted his involvement in the events of nearly a decade ago, he said, “It’s lawful to target an enemy commander in the field.”

Holder also said the team that carried out the raid had been trained to take bin Laden alive if he was willing to surrender. “It was a kill-or-capture mission,” he said. “He made no attempt to surrender.”

Administration officials said the two dozen SEALs involved in the operation were back at their home base outside Virginia Beach, Va., and the extensive debriefing they underwent was complete. Saluted as heroes nationwide, they remained publicly unidentified because of security concerns.

In New York on Thursday, Carney said, Obama will lay a wreath at the World Trade Center site and hold a private meeting with relatives of some of the victims of the attacks.

His decision not to release the photographs of bin Laden was unlikely to be the final word, though.

The Associated Press on Monday requested through the Freedom of Information Act photos of bin Laden’s body as well as other materials, including video taken by military personnel during the raid and on the USS Carl Vinson, the ship that conducted bin Laden’s burial at sea. The government has 20 days to respond.

Some family members of those who died in the 9/11 terror attacks have pressed to have the photographs released to document bin Laden’s death, as have some skeptics in the Arab world. But many lawmakers and others expressed concern that the photographic images could be seen as a “trophy” that would inflame U.S. critics and make it harder for members of the American military deployed overseas to do their jobs.

Obama said he had discussed his decision with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and defense Secretary Robert Gates “and my intelligence teams, and they all agree.”

Despite fears of revenge attacks, officials have yet to raise the national threat level.

More like this story

wow 2 years ago

I agree it's over and done. Besides, no matter what happens there will still be haters and doubter's. Some people don't believe the President's Birth Certificate, SSN and college transcripts are real. I'm not so sure they would believe video and photo's of this Bin-Laden operation show what really happened.

In my world, thanks to those involved for making the world a bit safer, but it's over for big Bin, he's gone....now let's get the focus on creating some good JOBS.

rmsberengaria 2 years ago

I do want to remind you Obama will not release his college transcripts or thesis or any of his medical records. Unlike George Bush, John Kerry, John McCain, all released full medical records, military records (of course Obama never served), and even John Kerry they all released their records. Don't forget how the Left wing press hounded George Bush and even questioned his military records even when he had already released them. Only Bill Clinton and Obama have never released medical or college records of all our Presidents in modern time.

rmsberengaria 2 years ago

Seen that clip. So what of it?

rmsberengaria 2 years ago

How do you know he earned a juris Doctor? Have you seen the document? the point is friend he refuses to release these documents when all others before him have except "Hoover Nose" Clinton. Tells you something about the complacent press and hypocritical left. When it is one of their own they ignor it and get tingles down their legs like Chris Mathews!

JMO 2 years ago

Let me get this straight. Liberals are not upset. In your opinion, that means they have no core values.

Using this logic: What does it say that conservatives are not upset?

asb 2 years ago

As far as I can tell we on the left are quite happy with bin Laden's killing. And as far as I can remember everybody, left and right was "upset" over 9/11 and its violation of human core values. It was not Bush's military, it was the best of the Commander in Chief's forces and he was more engaged in the process than Bush was ever engaged iin anything.

JMO 2 years ago

So...Amazed2 and Graceful are the same person? Why do you have two screen names? Or did you reply to the wrong post?

tonto 2 years ago

You just figured that out? You didn't notice they had the same writing style, used the same buzzwords, and made all the same illogical accusations?

JMO 2 years ago

Well yeah, but I just kind of figured they were ultra right-wing kindred spirits....if there is such a thing. Frankly, I usually don't pay that much attention to them...her/him.

online_editor 2 years ago

People can change their account names and IP addresses but not necessarily their style and demeanor. However, one danger of us over-reacting in our suspicions is getting wrapped up in accusing people of being other people. Sometimes the accusations of dual identity are correct; sometimes the accusers draw faulty conclusions and are incorrect. In some cases, the accusers themselves are being malicious. Therefore, what matters in an anonymous forum is not who is expressing an idea, but the merit of the idea being expressed and the quality of the discussion. So, if you think someone is masquerading as more than one account, just ignore them, or both of them, or all of them. Entirely. Instead, choose to interact with the other participants whom you believe have a strong sense of participating in constructive discussion. Thanks, ladies and gentlemen, for all the mutual respect and exchange of views that happen here. --Rick Brown, online editor, News Tribune

asb 2 years ago

Yes, I seem to have lost the memory of Obama campaigning against the killing of bin Laden . . . but that's ok, it was a constructed amazed memory which can, and will, be re-built. How clever of Bush's handlers to let bin Laden hang with his crew in Pakistan for all those years, just to ruin things for Obama. GWB couldn't even pull together his cajonas to step out and say something good about his magnificent plan last week. Cheeky guy . . .

asb 2 years ago

bin Laden was killed, not murdered. Obama has not taken credit for the killing. He didn't dress up and fly into bin Laden's compund with a "Mission Accomplished" banner hanging on the wall. Obama has spent hours thanking everybody involved. Where have you been?

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