After Osama bin Laden was found and killed, the American people were begging the government to produce photos of bin Laden's corpse. The government adamantly refused to show the photos, and now a court ruling has stated the photos can remain a secret.
In May 2011, the now famous Navy Seal Team Six raided Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan and killed the leader of al-Qaeda and the man responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
When word broke out about bin Laden's death there was celebrating in the streets of New York City and Washington D.C.
After it became known that the Seals took photos of bin Laden's death and burial at sea, the American people wanted to see them as proof bin Laden was dead. The Obama administration sealed the bin Laden photos and deemed them classified.
Today, Reuters is reporting that three judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals have issued a ruling that the bin Laden photos can remain classified.
A nonprofit group called Judicial Watch sued for the right to see photos and video of the raid on bin Laden's compound. They argued that under the Freedom of Information Act, Americans have the right to see the bin Laden photos.
According to the Washington Post, the judges decided that the 59 photos should remain classified based on testimony given by security officials who have seen the bin Laden photos. The judges believed the photos were too graphic in nature to release to the public. They included a photo of the bullet wound that killed bin Laden as part of that "graphic" statement.
The judges also believe (according to Reuters) that releasing the photos of bin Laden's corpse could cause a riot and place Americans abroad at risk.
"It is undisputed that the government is withholding the images not to shield wrong doing, or avoid embarrassment but rather to prevent the killing of Americans and violence against American interest," Reuters reports the judges' opinion as saying.
Since the 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden's compound there have been books and movies released depicting how one of the world's worst terrorists was found and killed. Americans are still hungry to see the original Bin Laden photos and finally put to rest a dark chapter in American history.
(Below is video showing the celebrating after Bin Laden was killed)
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
