Smile for the Camera!

The President is to be commended for ordering the takedown of Osama bin Laden, (although there is the problem that he had to interrupt his deliberations on it in order to attend the White House Correspondent's Dinner). However, if you thought the "birther" issue was a pain, wait now for the "deathers" to start rearing their ugly heads.
Apparently though, the President has decided not to release photos of the body because he fears the impact that it may have on the Islamic world, and indirectly, on US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. But there is one point in his comments that I find rather awkward:

Imagine how the American people would react if Al Qaida killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet," he continued. "Osama bin Laden is not a trophy - he is dead and let's now focus on continuing the fight until Al Qaida has been eliminated.

True, Osama is not a trophy to be exhibited, but his reference to the sensibilities of Americans about a photo of a dead guy being the same sensibilities of the Arab street are disingenuous. The bazaars of Baghdad are filled with DVDs of the snuff videos of Al Qaeda sawing some poor innocent's head off. This is just the equivalent of porn over there.
Contrast his reticence to release the photos with the release of the photos of Abu Ghraib, or the demand to take pictures of returning caskets. In both of these latter cases, there was a demand that the "world should know." Cloaking themselves in the rightness of informing the public, their silence now reveals them for what they actually are: People bent on the destruction of George Bush, whose hatred of him is so great that they were willing to sacrifice American troops to greater danger on behalf of their agenda.

May they, along with Osama bin Laden enjoy their prolonged stay in Hell.