A top CIA official argues in a document filed earlier this week by the Department of Justice that the U.S. Government is claiming the exemption from disclosing images because they might inspire terror attacks. The CIA has 52 separate videos and photos of Osama bin Laden’s raid, his burial at sea, and him being killed in 2011.
The Director of the National Clandestine Service of the CIA, John Bennett, responded to the argument that the disclosure of images is a security risk with a declaration from the Department of Justice. The refusal came in response to a lawsuit filed by the conservative group Judicial Watch, which requested the release of the images of bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan after the raid that took place three days prior on May 4.
The CIA conducted a search of its records to determine how many images of the aftermath of the raid and the operation that resulted in the death of UBL on May 1, 2011, in the United States were possessed. These records, which include fifty-two unique recordings and/or photographs, are responsive to the Plaintiff’s FOIA request.
READ Bennett’s Declaration Regarding the Bin Laden Photographs.
Some pictures were taken for the purpose of facial recognition. Several other images depict the preparation of his body for burial as well as the burial itself. It is said that many images were taken inside the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where bin Laden died and from which his body was transported to sea for burial. “They describe the images of his corpse and the fatal bullet wound to UBL’s head as quite graphic,” says Bennett. The post-mortem images include pictures of UBL’s body.
“I am unable to provide additional details regarding the contents or the circumstances in which they were acquired on public records without potentially jeopardizing national security,” states Bennett. “Due to the highly classified nature of these pictures,” Bennett asserts that he has concluded that all the images must be classified as Top Secret, making them exempt from disclosure, as their release “could reasonably be anticipated to cause exceptionally severe harm to national security.”
Bennett does not specify how many videos or images there are, but previous media reports indicated that there might be footage from helmet cameras of the Navy SEALs’ raid in May, which the New Yorker article published several months ago asserted existed, despite the official U.S. Accounts confirming the matter with a familiar New Yorker’s account.
The Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton criticized the Obama administration’s refusal to release the images as a “political” decision that has no legal foundation.
Fitton stated, “In accordance with the legal obligations, it is necessary to disclose the documented evidence regarding the demise of Osama bin Laden to the citizens of the United States.” “Adhering to these obligations might cause discomfort to terrorists, thus we should not disregard our legislation on openness and accountability.”
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