Reuters Defends Decision To Publish Bin Laden Compound Photos
Posted: 05/ 4/11 06:29 PM ET
NEW YORK -- The White House isn’t releasing photos of Osama bin Laden’s dead body, but that didn’t stop Reuters from publishing several gruesome photos Wednesday showing the aftermath of the U.S. raid on bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan and sending them to clients of the wire service.
Reuters defended that decision in a statement to The Huffington Post.
"As this is a story of global importance, Reuters chose to share these photographs with its media clients and allow them to make editorial decisions on how they were used," a spokesperson said.
The news organization declined to comment further on photos showing three, unidentified men lying in pools of blood. (WARNING: the photographs can be viewed here but they are very graphic.)
But in an article accompanying the photos, Reuters said it purchased the photographs from a Pakistani security official who entered the compound about an hour after the U.S. raid took place that killed the al Qaeda leader. The official chose to remain anonymous.
“Reuters is confident of the authenticity of the purchased images because details in the photos appear to show a wrecked helicopter from the assault, matching details from photos taken independently on Monday,” the article read.
During Wednesday's press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney read from a transcript of an interview Obama gave earlier in the day to "60 Minutes," whereby the president explained the reasoning behind not releasing a photo of bin Laden's corpse.
“We don’t need to spike the football, and I think that given the graphic nature of these photos, it would create some national security risk,” Obama told "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Kroft.
The White House declined to comment on the Reuters photos.
Reuters defended that decision in a statement to The Huffington Post.
"As this is a story of global importance, Reuters chose to share these photographs with its media clients and allow them to make editorial decisions on how they were used," a spokesperson said.
The news organization declined to comment further on photos showing three, unidentified men lying in pools of blood. (WARNING: the photographs can be viewed here but they are very graphic.)
But in an article accompanying the photos, Reuters said it purchased the photographs from a Pakistani security official who entered the compound about an hour after the U.S. raid took place that killed the al Qaeda leader. The official chose to remain anonymous.
“Reuters is confident of the authenticity of the purchased images because details in the photos appear to show a wrecked helicopter from the assault, matching details from photos taken independently on Monday,” the article read.
During Wednesday's press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney read from a transcript of an interview Obama gave earlier in the day to "60 Minutes," whereby the president explained the reasoning behind not releasing a photo of bin Laden's corpse.
Story continues below
The White House declined to comment on the Reuters photos.
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The idea should be to calm the waters and develop a salubrious relationship with Pakistan. Instead, we get vindictive shrieks of anger and demands for punishment.
Drudge_Report WHITE HOUSE RELEASES BIN LADEN DEATH PHOTO http://drudge.tw/lsB43O | ||
CongJeffMiller DRUDGE: WHITE HOUSE TO RELEASE BIN LADEN DEATH PHOTO http://fb.me/vYzaDNrp | ||
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0 minute ago (9:18 PM)
Hey...if we had a President we could trust, there would be no need for a confirmati 1 minute ago (9:16 PM)
my post should not be deemed offensive, 2 minutes ago (9:15 PM)
Obama's the President & it's his call, for whatever reasons, he feels is in our national security best interests. PERIOD! 0 minute ago (9:17 PM)
But it was imperitive to release the Abu Ghraib photos. Please explain. 0 minute ago (9:18 PM)
The pictures belong to the taxpayers that paid for the mission, doubtful that they are any worse than what is shown on television or at the movies 3 minutes ago (9:14 PM)
It's a shame that a Pakistani security official would take photos of the deceased individual 3 minutes ago (9:14 PM)
Are other "civilized 3 minutes ago (9:14 PM)
If you want pics of Oh Bee Ell, you just have to go over to 4chan. 3 minutes ago (9:14 PM)
Should we have left the helicopter for Pakistan's perusal? I've never seen anything like it before. I'm sure others will be curious to know how it was made and such. I know the SEALs needed to get out of there quickly, but maybe they should have blown the helicopter up or something. Our guns and ammo are already being used against us throughout the world, we don't need someone flying into the US in undetectab 1 minute ago (9:17 PM)
I know! I thought they destroyed the chopper for security reasons. I guess you never know if what the media reports is accurate or even true. This whole thing reminds me of that movie, "Wag the Dog". 6 minutes ago (9:12 PM)
Blood bath photos? Huffington Post lies in the title. Only pictures of trashed building after the body was dumped there. 1 minute ago (9:16 PM)
You can go to the reuters site for the pictures, there's a link. 7 minutes ago (9:11 PM)
The only reason Reuters has to release their photos is because they spent a lot of MONEY on them. 8 minutes ago (9:10 PM)
WHo are these people who are "outside" in the photo above? 8 minutes ago (9:09 PM)
Bin Laden is probably still alive somewhere and if these politician 8 minutes ago (9:09 PM)
In photograph 6 minutes ago (9:11 PM)
That "free flow of informatio 9 minutes ago (9:08 PM)
Those are pretty graphic, but not as graphic as this... http://www