Death photos

A Freedom of Information Act request, filed by The Associated Press in order to get access to photos of Osama bin Laden after his death, may wind up giving the world one last look at the Sept. 11 terrorist.

The AP requested the photos and other material stemming from the May 2 raid in which elite Navy SEALs swooped into the Pakistan compound where bin Laden was hiding, killed him and then buried him at sea a few hours later.

President Barack Obama decided against releasing photos of bin Laden's body, saying that to do so would be similar to an excessive celebration and (that) it would run the chance of inflaming anti-American feelings in Pakistan and other nations.

The president was correct to order the photos withheld, even though doing so gave rise to more than a few conspiracy theories that wondered if bin Laden really was the man who got killed.

It's worth pointing out that his terrorist organization, al-Qaida, confirmed bin Laden's death a few days after the raid, so that would seem to pop any conspiracy balloons.

It's also worth noting that a lot of people in Pakistan and elsewhere already dislike the U.S., its permissive culture, its military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan and its continued global presence. There's no need to give them one more feeble excuse to hate us by releasing the bin Laden death photos just to soothe the world's relentless, gossipy curiosity.

That being said, the AP makes just as strong an argument. The photos exist, and as government property, the public is entitled to see them if they do not include classified information.

Hopefully the most grisly images will be kept private.

- Enterprise-Journal, McComb, Miss.