President Barack Obama tells CBS News he will not release photos of Osama bin Laden to prove he died.
CBS News just posted the comments on their Web site. They will air on this Sunday's 60 Minutes. Portions of the interview will air Wednesday on the CBS Evening News.
Bin Laden was shot above the eye and again in the chest by the Navy Seals during a raid Sunday in a mansion near Islamabad.
As several outlets have reported, there was a discussion among aides whether to release the photos or not.
Reps for news outlets contacted by The Hollywood Reporter said they would only publish official photos from the White House.
In an interview on 60 Minutes Sunday, Obama tells CBS News’ Steve Kroft that they confirmed the man killed was bin Laden. “We've done DNA-- sampling-- and testing. And-- and so there is no doubt that-- we killed-- Osama bin Laden. It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head-- are not floating around-- as-- an incitement to additional violence. As a propaganda tool. You know, that's not who we are. You know, we don't trot out this stuff as trophies. You know, the fact of the matter is this was somebody who was-- deserving of the justice that he received. And I think-- Americans and people around the world are glad that he's gone. But-- but we don't need to spike the football. And-- I think that given the-- the graphic nature of these photos-- it would-- create some national security risk. And I've discussed this with-- Bob Gates and Hillary Clinton and-- my intelligence teams and they all agree.”
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