DENVER—A Colorado congressman who has viewed photos taken of Osama bin Laden after he was killed thinks the least graphic of the images should be made public.
Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn said he viewed the photos for about 10 minutes Thursday at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va.
Lamborn said seeing images showing bin Laden shot in the head helped give him closure on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He thinks they could do the same for relatives of victims and other Americans.
“It’s one thing to hear that he’s dead. That was good as far as it went. But it’s another thing to see it with your own eyes,” he told The Associated Press after the viewing.
He said he doesn’t fear that the photos would incite violence because he thinks those upset by bin Laden’s death would take action with or without the photos.
Lamborn is one of three Colorado lawmakers eligible to see the photos because of their membership on Congressional intelligence and military committees.
Democratic Sen. Mark Udall plans to view the photos but not until at least next week. He thinks it’s important to have representatives of a second branch of the government to view the photos, partly to help rebut those who doubt bin Laden was killed, but he has said he’s not looking forward to it.
Republican Rep. Mike Coffman, meanwhile, is passing on the offer, a largely personal decision influenced by his combat experience as a Marine. Coffman said he’s seen people wounded and killed in real life and doesn’t understand the fascination with viewing photos of someone who’s been shot. He served as a light armored infantry officer in the Gulf War and was in Iraq from 2005 to 2006 where he worked as a civil affairs officer.
“I think our military did the right thing, no question. I take their word for it that he’s dead,” he said.
Coffman said he backs President Barack Obama’s decision not to release the photos to the public and praised him for keeping the operation to kill bin Laden and its aftermath free of politics. He said the administration may have more intelligence about the potential global ramifications of releasing the photos than members of Congress do.
During Lamborn’s visit to the CIA, he said he viewed between six and eight photos as a staffer stood by to answer any questions at his request. He said some photos were taken immediately after bin Laden’s death in his bedroom at his home in Pakistan. He said one showed bin Laden’s body carefully wrapped in a white shroud and another showed his body just before he was buried at sea.
Lamborn said the photos of bin Laden’s head were shown side-by-side with ones of him when he was alive, at roughly the same angle, leaving no doubt that it was the al-Qaida leader who was killed.
He said releasing one photo to the public would be sufficient but he would leave it to the administration to decide which one.
