Obama Won't Release Photos of Osama

CBS News confirmed that President Obama will not be releasing pictures or video of Osama Bin Laden's death.

"It is important 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 or as a propaganda tool," said the president.

"We don't trot out this stuff as trophies," Mr. Obama added. "The fact of the matter is, this is somebody who was deserving of the justice that he received."

In explaining his choice not to release the photo, Mr. Obama said that "we don't need to spike the football." He said that "given the graphic nature of these photos it would create a national security risk."

It can certainly be argued that dishing out photos would give the American people confirmation of Osama's death, and in addition be a fierce warning to American enemies that our military will never cease in its efforts to pursue justice.

I imagine this lack of photographic evidence will fuel the fire for conspiracy theorists and 9/11 truthers, but for the rest of America, this is seen as a momentous event and an incredible victory for America.  Since the death of Bin Laden has not been legitimately disputed, many people feel at this point that there is no need to provide further evidence with pictures and video. 

Besides, its not like the people who believe Osama wasn't behind September 11 attacks would believe the pictures or video anyways.

--Josh Riddle

Christians Protest in Pakistan

Shahbaz-Bhatti, Pakistan's recently assasinated minister for minorities.In several cities across Pakistan, Christians burned tires at rallies on Thursday. They were gathered in response to the assassination of the minister for religious minorities. The minister, Shahbaz Bhatti, was gunned down in Islamabad because he had publicly pushed for Pakistan to reform their laws, specifically the death penalty for insulting Islam. His death follows the fatal shooting of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer by his own bodyguard for similar statements. That incident may explain why Bhatti requested that his police and paramilitary bodyguards not follow him when he went to visit his mother.

After the government declared three days of official mourning, the Christians began to protest. In a city near the capital, surrounded by burning tires, hundreds of people chanted: “Anyone who commits injustice or oppression will have to answer for it.” Christians are a small minority in Pakistan (around 5%) who are generally poor and persecuted. While they protested and called for justice, however, Islamists responded in a less public fashion. Although the extremists had held public celebrations of Taseer’s death, this time they merely spread the rumor that the killing was part of an American plot. The grand mufti of Pakistan said “I am afraid that this could be an American conspiracy to defame the government of Pakistan, Muslims and Islam.” The Review hopes that the government of Pakistan manages to find the killers and bring them to justice. I for one doubt that the assassins were in any way tied to the United States.

--J.P. Harrington

The Compassionate Thing to Do

I say, forget the terrorists, because really this is a conflict between two fundamentally decent groups of Americans.

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