There seems to be a lot of discussion on social networks questioning whether Osama bin Laden is really dead. The core of the discussion tackles the fact that the pictures are not released, therefore you can't know for sure if he is dead because you have to take Obama's word for it (and the testimony of the military, presidents from other countries, DNA testing and Arabic television).
So here are a few things to consider:
It is doubtful that the real motivation for wanting to see a picture is to confirm his death. As many of the fake pictures that have been going around have proven, creating a fake picture of a dead bin Laden could have been accomplished by anyone with little more than basic knowledge of Photoshop. My last Google search for "Dead Osama picture"resulted in 6.5 million images. Part of the questioning that has been going on has to do with people's sense of revenge, a built in desire to feel safe by witnessing the decomposing corpse of an enemy as proof that there is no more danger.
In primitive cultures that is the logic behind the barbaric need to drag the corpse of an enemy around town, to serve as an example and to fullfil the need for revenge of those witnessing the act.
One of the main reasons people seem doubtful is because of the history of the Bush administration of fabricating blatant lies and selling them as truth, particularly using Fox Network as a vehicle. He admitted himself that he had little interest in capturing him. Bin Laden's existence was extremely convenient to the Bush administration.
There are reasons for distrust when one is lied to for 8 years. That distrust must be put into perspective. Obama is not leaking a story about bin Laden being dead to irresponsible networks with an agenda, he is going on tv and putting his neck on the line and boldly stating that has happened. Different administrations, different approaches.
The part that puzzles me the most about this debate is the fact that it would be so incredibly easy to prove he is still alive. Al Qaeda is still alive and well, and would love nothing but to make the president of the United States look like a fool to the whole world. All that is needed is video of Bin Laden laughing at the rumor and stating that he is alive and well and that Obama is lying. It would allow them to regain respect from their followers and re-enforce the idea that bin Laden can outsmart the US.
Now, even with all those justifications, why not just end the problem by releasing the pictures?
Let's start by the obvious... there are still thousands of terrorists with the USA as their main target and many more bin Laden supporters who would need very little incentive to try to revenge him. Looking at pictures of him with a bullet through his head is certainly good motivation. There is little doubt that the pictures would be used to entice people into joining Al Qaeda as well as a motivator to heat things up and spread more violence. Is staring at the hole on his head worth the lives from our soldiers and civilians that might be lost if the pictures get released?
The decision to "bury" his body in the ocean follows the same premise. We don't want to create a place where people can revere him, we don't want people to die trying to stop terrorists from getting his body, no country wants to deal with it and we certainly don't want his body here. No other life should be lost on his behalf.
It says a lot for Obama's character and how he wants the world to view the United States from now on, when he stated:
It says a lot for Obama's character and how he wants the world to view the United States from now on, when he stated:
"We don't trot out this stuff as trophies... That's not who we are."
It shows he understands that the previous administration's attitude has created incredible animosity from most foreign countries in relations to the United States, and that it is important for the future of the country that we start taking the upper road instead of behaving like the people we criticize.
Making him disappear is the smartest move this administration has made and I hope Obama isn't pressured into changing his mind. We know his death is a relief. People should take a deep breath, and allow themselves to move on. In the age of the internet, the pictures will surface eventually anyway...
