May 4, 2011, - 4:33 pm

Islamo-Panderer-in-Chief: Obama, FOIA & the Dead Bin Laden Pics (& GOP Rep Rogers)

By Debbie Schlussel

Is Barack Obama’s refusal to release the dead Osama Bin Laden photos a way to stretch the publicity over the kill until October or November 2012 and the Presidential election?  Sure looks that way to me.

obamasmiling.jpg

Hey, Where Are My 72 Re-Virginized?

I suspected Barack Obama would refuse to release the photos of the dead  Bin Laden.  He has far more respect for Muslims, Islam, and the 9/11 hijackers than he does for their thousands of victims on American soil and throughout the world.  And for a guy he told us was “not a Muslim leader,” Obama is certainly according Osama Bin Laden major Muslim leader status and then some.  But this isn’t about “arousing [Muslim] violence,” or we [CORRECTION: Pakistan] wouldn’t have released photos of the other dead Muslims our hot Navy SEALS killed at Bin Laden’s compound, above. Obama has even more respect for his own fame and glory, and that may be what this is about.  See, there’s the inconvenient law, called the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Obama is not only more concerned about protecting Muslims, he’s simply a fool because it lends to more suspicions and conspiracy theories that he’s lying, as with his birth certificate.

And, while Barack Obama may try to use one of the outs in the law, I don’t see how he can get away with it.  While there have been many restrictions put into place by the Bush and Obama administrations to limit FOIA, the limitations are not enough to keep any average American from forcing the release of the Bin Laden photos after they file a FOIA request, then a lawsuit. Some exceptions to FOIA are documents that are part of an ongoing investigation or which reveal personal information of a U.S. resident or citizen or which disclose decision-making processes or reasoning behind government processes and decisions.  The Bin Laden photo doesn’t fall under any of these categories . . . unless you stretch it beyond the reasonable credulity of the federal judge applying the law.

It might be difficult to determine upon which agency to file the FOIA request, but it’s safe to say that FOIA requests on the Department of Defense and the White House would cover it.  I guarantee you that a gazillion American publicity seekers and news agencies have already filed FIOA requests upon both and perhaps other sub-agencies, like the Department of the Navy.

Ultimately, Barack Obama will have to release the photos.  But I believe his refusal is a selfish publicity stunt.  He is trying to prolong his glory over the Bin Laden kill until right before the election.  Such a FOIA suit–with delays and motions and obstructions–could last until right before November 2012.

By the way, Obama has a friend in a so-called “conservative” Republican Congressman Mike Rogers of Michigan.  I’ve told you about Rogers before, as he pandered to the FBI’s political correctness to Muslims, while talking a phony tough game on terrorism and collecting campaign contributions from conservative Arab Christians and right-wing pro-Israel Jews.  He’s a fraud.

Today, Rogers told a Detroit radio station that he supports Obama’s decision not to release the photos because he believes it will incite Muslims.  Hmm . . . whose dead photo did we release on September 10, 2001?  No one’s.  They murder innocent people, photos or no photos.  It’s BS to pander to them.  Maybe we should outlaw Playboy and bikinis.  Those make Muslims angry (though behind the scenes they are porn’s biggest consumers), too.

Rogers also said he believed the Pakistani government and military academy down the street didn’t know that Bin Laden was living openly in their midst for the last six years.

Yup, he chairs the House Intelligence Committee and ain’t too intelligent. Rogers is a former FBI agent.  Now you know why I refer to the agency as Famous But Incompetent.

So, who wants to file the FIOA request for the photo and hire me to file the lawsuit?




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50 Responses

Agreed

Carlos on May 4, 2011 at 4:52 pm

I share your anger–interesting about Rogers–I wondered after I saw him today.

moeursalen on May 4, 2011 at 5:07 pm

Only Obama could take the best thing that ever happen to him and screw it up. glad to see he’s more concerned with the other sides FEELINGS than giving the American people what they want.

timwhited on May 4, 2011 at 5:10 pm

I should have thought of that — Obama wants to release them closer to election. One small correction though. You said “we wouldn’t have released photos of the other dead Muslims”. We didn’t release these ones. They were taken by an Afghan security guy after the raid and he sold them to Reuters. Also, there is one more, of a guy in a white T-shirt you can find and add to this post.

Jason on May 4, 2011 at 5:21 pm

For all the protestations that the ‘religion of peace’ is about love and respect, it’s always funny to see politicians not actually practice what they preach.In simple terms, if Islam was not a religion of barbarism, the politicians would have no issue posting the pictures. But since Islam is a religion of pure evil, the politicians thus do not post the pictures — thus rendering their defence of the ‘noble’ Islam somewhat redundant.

If a Mormon terrorist conducted 9/11 and the chief ring-leader was found and killed after 10 years, do you think the government would refuse to post the pictures for fear of inciting Mormon violence? No way!

We’re told on a daily basis that most muslims are not extremists and despise these nasty terrorists. So why should posting pics of the supposedly ‘not very popular in the Islamic world’ Bin Laden “incite” these people? How is it possible to incite muslims who allege they despise terrorism?

But I digress. And yes I agree — Obama is using this issue for his own political gain.

Barry on May 4, 2011 at 5:40 pm

May 2nd 2011 02:30 date stamp?

Is that a squirt gun next to his head!!?? oops!

Funny how the media was so quick to release photos of our marines who were dragged across the street when their helicopter went down in Mogadishu… and don’t forget the American men (I think they were private contractors) who were hung from a bridge after being killed in Iraq

ebayer on May 4, 2011 at 5:49 pm

Obama doesn’t want to release the photos because he is ashamed of himself for ordering the assault. Maybe because it was an assassination order, which he just doesn’t believe in but had no choice other than risk letting America find out that he passed on the chance to get UBL, or maybe he’s ashamed for more dubious reasons. Maybe he just doesn’t want this symbol of closure for those that the images could provide.
As to his “I don’t want to spike a football” crap, well, We do. We want our Commander in Chief to spike the football, do the funky chicken dance in the end zone and then lead the stadium in the Na na na na song. FU Obama for denying us that.

peter on May 4, 2011 at 5:53 pm

    I like the Cut of your Jib, Peter. Beautifully put.

    Occam's Tool on May 4, 2011 at 9:40 pm

I think the Muslim-in-chief is correct. We should not release the photos because they may incite more violence from the muslim community. Some may rise up and want to kill 3000+ more people in America, another bombing of an American embassy, the death of more Jews due to America’s “support” of Israel, etc., just because of the released photos… and we don’t want that.

Pats on May 4, 2011 at 6:03 pm

This is total BS–bin laden has been dead for years. It’s been necessary for him to be alive as a bogeyman to justify the “war on terror”. Don’t expect the WoT to end any time soon, though. It’s way too profitable, both economically and politically.

OBL on May 4, 2011 at 6:07 pm

    OBL:

    I have to admit. I too thought Osama bin Laden was probably dead. There were reports years ago that he was suffering from kidney disease.

    This is one news item I’ll trust to my government. There seems to be credible witness reports of the assassination.

    All other things being equal, we really need to get Aymin al-Zawahiri and soon. Zawahiri is the operational leader of Al-Qaida and bin Laden’s “number two”.

    There is NO Santa Claus on May 4, 2011 at 8:34 pm

    OBL- I agree. I think he went up in smoke in the early 2000’s (2003??) when we bombed the hell out of Tora Bora. Remember, the US spotted bin laden in this area 10 minutes prior to when the bombing had commenced. I wouldn’t put it past this current phony to do something fraudulent… again.

    Pats on May 4, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    Yeah, the airlines have made so much money off of it that they are nearly bankrupt. Have you been sniffing gasoline fumes again?

    Worry01 on May 4, 2011 at 11:32 pm

I would think that if someone had a camera in a foreign country the time would be set for their time zone. Thats just me.

John Rickell on May 4, 2011 at 6:10 pm

Yet he’ll release photos of 2,000 tortured prisoner photos? Try another excuse – it’s obviously nothing to do with respecting Muslims (or we wouldn’t be in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, bombing Pakistan and threatening Iran and Syria). How about they couldn’t doctor the photos well enough (esp. after the very bad layers job they did on his birth certificate PDF) to release them?

sharpinla on May 4, 2011 at 6:54 pm

Debbie reports:

Rogers also said he believed the Pakistani government and military academy down the street didn’t know that Bin Laden was living openly in their midst for the last six years.

THIS IMBECILE chairs the House Intelligence Committee and used to be an FBI agent? Taking inspiration from Casey Stengel’s exasperated comment during his first year of managing the disastrous Mets, I ask those in Washington: “Can’t anyone here understand what the hell is actually going on?”

commonsense on May 4, 2011 at 6:59 pm

The photo I want to see is one of a Navy Seal holding OBL’s head upside down by his scruffy beard for the camera to see next to the headless body of OBL…in the best “Islamic tradition.”

Vuulfie on May 4, 2011 at 7:03 pm

What, travelling to Ground Zero is not a provocation? Do you know how many millions of dollars are going to be spent on security tomorrow?

Mike on May 4, 2011 at 7:27 pm

I am unbelievably angry that the U.S. Navy washed the scumbag’s body, wrapped it up in white cloth, as is Islamic custom, and held services for Osama. They should have just heaved the so and so over the side of the ship.

Since when do we hold services for the enemies we kill? Do the Arabs say Kaddish for the Jews they murder? Do they hold wakes for the Christians they have slaughtered?

Was there a violation of the establishment of religion clause?

Why isn’t anyone else angry?

Jonathan E. Grant on May 4, 2011 at 7:53 pm

    I’m angry… but I realize its not going to do much good now.

    I’ve learned in life its one emotion I don’t like even when its justified.

    I much prefer to work things out and when I can’t, I’m just resigned to it.

    There’s only so much we can do without getting ourselves into trouble.

    NormanF on May 4, 2011 at 8:57 pm

Oh, but they didn’t have any problems with the release of the Abu Ghraib photos as long as it served their purpose.

Ed on May 4, 2011 at 8:04 pm

    That was different… Debbie and I have different views about the Iraq War but have no doubt the Abu Gharib photos were release to rouse Muslim fury and embarrass America.

    The fury is funny… since Muslims do far worse things than the American interrogators did in that prison.

    The Left which hated America was willing to humiliate it then for no good reason but all of a sudden its concerned releasing the photo of Osama Bin Laden’s corpse will make the Muslim World more angry at us.

    Hilarious if the double standard wasn’t so sad.

    NormanF on May 4, 2011 at 9:02 pm

Debbie:

What is the Jewish religious view of a corpse and taking/displaying pictures of them?

I thought we didn’t do stuff like that.

TINSC: Since Bin Laden was not Jewish, the Jewish religious view is irrelevant. The only relevant view is that we are America and should play by OUR rules, NOT Islam’s. SHOW THE PHOTOS! DS

There is NO Santa Claus on May 4, 2011 at 8:25 pm

    Deb:

    Thank you for the reply. I understand “we are America and should play by OUR rules”.

    There is NO Santa Claus on May 4, 2011 at 9:01 pm

    I’m all for showing respect to the dead… but let’s never forget those who died on September 11 a decade ago never even received a burial.

    Bin Laden is the last person in the world who deserves respect in death. Debbie is right; SHOW US THE PHOTOS!!!

    NormanF on May 4, 2011 at 9:05 pm

Our military is an army of exterminators…we need to incite the cockroaches to come out of the woodwork so we can KILL them. It was suggested bin Ladin’s head should be impaled on a pike on the White House lawn. Are we not at war? “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his”
George S. Patton

Dr Dale on May 4, 2011 at 8:30 pm

Wow, more nuttiness here than a Skippy factory. Backing away slowly…slowly…
RUN!!!!!

Sane, Unlike Y'all on May 4, 2011 at 9:03 pm

    Not any worse than your canned nickname. Unlike your friends, no one here will be beheading you. When you actually have something to say about Osama Bin Ladin, please let us know. Otherwise, you are more like a yelping dog filling the air with noise.

    Worry01 on May 4, 2011 at 11:29 pm

I’m afraid the media stampede on the bin Laden assassination story has created a vacuum of news coming from Libya and Syria. I’ll bet the Saudis and Bahrainis are having a field day cracking down on demonstrators in Bahrain.

There is NO Santa Claus on May 4, 2011 at 9:04 pm

So they’re massacring their own people like livestock.

Netanyahu should have told Cameron, “if you were an animal rights activist, would you make peace with your neighborhood butcher? We feel the same about ours and want to keep them far, far and far away from us.”

That applies especially to the Palestinian Arabs to whom Israel is hectored to turn over its land to. Some things never change.

NormanF on May 4, 2011 at 9:09 pm

There won’t b any photos of Bin Laden, I don’t know who those popel in the pictures were but Binb Ladens been dead for at least 10 years, I remember hearing aobut that on the radio back then. Take a look a this article, he is also on youtube talking ot Alex Jones, this si a well known man who has a lot of credibility, even if you think Alex Jones doesn’t. Very interesting story and I am not sure if anyone is going ot do anything aobut it. This is also now on you tube, a series of interviews with this man.

http://real-agenda.com/2011/05/04/top-government-insider-bin-laden-died-in-2001/

Madhatter15 on May 4, 2011 at 9:32 pm

I think this is another miscalculation on President Obama’s part.

Worry01 on May 4, 2011 at 9:58 pm

Totally agree. It also is NOT the government’s job to decide what we can see or can’t see. I had not figured out why he was refusing to release the picture, his reasoning registered as total BS. The rationale that you have proposed rings very true. And i totally agree with those here who have said that this was another huge miscalculation on Obama’s part. And why in the heck can’t they get their story straight on the details of the SEALS operation. The administration looks so dumb when so many of the details keep changing and dribbling out.

Hey, even the Dalai Lama suggested that the killing was justified. And the buffoon, Jimmy Carter, has perfect timing. Hamas earlier this week mourned the death of Osama bin Laden and condemned the United States for killing him. No surprise there. So,today, Jimmy Carter, a former president of the US (yes, the very same United States that was attacked by Osama Bin Laden and condemned by Hamas) tells us that Hamas would make a suitable partner for peace with Israel. Hamas, is an avowedly anti-Semitic organization that seeks Israel’s destruction, mainly through mass murder.

I don’t feel I need to go on, except to say that I don’t find Jimmy Carter a reliable interpreter of Middle East reality.

NancyB on May 4, 2011 at 10:46 pm

Oh, DS, I will be more than glad to file FOIA requests, except that I can’t afford to hire you, unfortuately. I sure hope that there is someone here that is in the position to be able to financial afford this because it needs to be done. I am also sick of hearing Jeffrey Toobin bombasting on CNN that Obama is legally on rock solid ground to refuse to release the pictures for national security reasons and that NO court will rule against him on this.

NancyB on May 4, 2011 at 10:53 pm

It is not the government’s job to decide what pictures we can or can not see. I totally agree with Worryo1 that this is another huge miscalculation on Obama’s part. I had not figured out Obama’s political game plan until this post of yours but it rings pitch perfect.

Hey, even the Dalai Lama has suggested that the killing of bin Laden was justified. I heard that santimonius phony Rogers on CNN today. And that buffoon, Jimmy Carter was raving about his dearly beloved Hamas. Hamas earlier this week mourned the death of Osama bin Laden and condemned the United States for killing him. So, today, Jimmy Carter, a former president of the United States (yes, the very same United States that was attacked by Osama Bin Laden and condemned by Hamas) tells us that Hamas would make a suitable partner for peace with Israel. Hamas, of course, is an avowedly anti-Semitic organization that seeks Israel’s destruction, mainly through mass murder. I don’t feel I need to go on, except to say that I don’t find Jimmy Carter a reliable interpreter of Middle East reality.

Hey, DS, I’d be glad to file the FOIA requests except I am not in a position to be able to financially afford to hire you. I sure hope that someone else here is in such a position because it is important. I’m so sick of hearing Jeffrey Toobin and other so called legal experts bombasting that Obama is on solid legal ground and that absolutely no judge will rule against him because of national security. Such BS.

NancyB on May 4, 2011 at 11:40 pm

I am totally split on the issue of the OBL desth pics.

OOH – can we afford the fallout if the pics were to be released? Some people say that discretion is the better part of valour, so one can bet that displaying the pictures could backfire since the enemies would use them for propaganda purposes. Surely the violence would escalate – then again, when has it ever? – and I’m quite sure that everyone would have to step up to counter it.

OTOH – there will be skeptics who will say that OBL is alive and well and munching on dates in Gitmo. There will even be those who said that we killed another of his body doubles (never doubt an enemy’s intelligence, gall and perseverance – remember Pearl Harbour?) or even worse, the wrong man. Yes, there will be fallout, but in the eternal battle between good and evil, rules are but hindrances.

Even worse, in light of the birth-certificate “scandal”, it may show that Obama might be hiding something that we shouldn’t know. But then I’m probably speculating.

The Reverend Jacques on May 5, 2011 at 1:43 am

I am a direct descendent of a signer of the constitution of the “Sons of Liberty”. My roots go deeper into this country than most. My heritage causes me to ponder the significance of the Bin Laden pictures. In the olden days a head was placed on a spear and exposed for public observation. I see know difference today as pictures submitted for viewing for proof of Bin Ladens demise are serving the same purpose. I can assure you that fingerprints, blood samples, and tissue samples were also taken along with the facial analysis and confirmation by bystanders that we have found and eliminated our target. This is not about Obama, the victims of 9/11, or anything else. It is about attempting to goad the government into releasing pictures that would satisfy the morbid curiosity of those who people who for some reason think it would make any kind of difference. It will not. Americans need to return to their basic human traits of forgiveness and respect. It is our heritage, our basis for liberty, and most of all justice. Let go and let God, and if you can’t accept God then just learn to let go. We need to take care of our own country and the basic needs of our countrymen. Waste no more time on the past as today is all we have control over. In God we Trust….

Richard Bogart on May 5, 2011 at 7:18 am

The whole concept of not releasing the photos to “avoid arousing Muslim hatred/violence” makes zero sense. If that was the main concern, then why kill him at all? Seems to me that’s a lot more inflammatory than releasing some pictures.

Bottom line is that this shouldn’t be Obama’s call to make. Even though he likes to take the credit for it, it wasn’t his operation totally (started with intelligence gathered during the Bush admin), it wasn’t his relatives that died thanks to OBM, and there are these pesky things called laws, like FOIA, that dictate he should release the pictures if people request them. Whatever happened to the “new era of transparency?”

Oddly enough, you don’t hear a peep from the liberals shrilly demanding the government reveal all and not hide anything, the way they did in Bush’s time. Hypocrites much?

Faye on May 5, 2011 at 7:33 am

There are no photos as OBL was not killed at the said time and place…

Dmitri on May 5, 2011 at 8:36 am

We need to release the photos in order to show the rest of the Muslim sociopaths that when you attack the United States of American there is a price you will have to pay. It took 10 years for us to bring justice to Osama Bin Killed: but in the end, we got our man. We should be proud of that fact, not ashamed of it.

Tanstaafl on May 5, 2011 at 9:11 am

Everything Obama touches leaves a stink and leads to endless arguments, speculation and conspiracy theories. Try this one on for size. Bin Laden was supposed to be 6ft.4 in height. Maybe the corpse tossed to the sharks was only 5ft.6 tall? That would be sufficient reason to get rid of the body fast and not release any pictures of the corpse. There is a rumor afloat(pun intended)that OSB died several years ago.

Jerry on May 5, 2011 at 9:28 am

A blogger on another site counted 21 I’s me my and mine’s in Obama’s speech Sunday night. I was astounded myself as I was watching but was happy to see he threw in thank you’s to the Seals at the end. You would think that “we” as a country got him, not just Obama. He should be ashamed for not putting the Seals and CIA FIRST in his speech and everything he has done since Sunday is about 2012. Let’s just hope this does not get him re-elected.

CJ on May 5, 2011 at 12:30 pm

    It wont get him re-elected. People have short term memories and the public is smarter than that (or so I hope) Meanwhile when the population is paying $6/gallon, they could probably care less about bin laden. Plus, just like everything else in the last 2 years, Barry has handled this completely wrong. Put bin laden’s head on a stick facing the east and use this as momentum changer regarding our islamic terrorism policy.

    jdiz on May 5, 2011 at 1:30 pm

Not so fast Madhatter, time will tell who knew Bin Laden was living in a villa under Paki protection. On Bill Maher’s show in 2008, Christiane Amanpour stated 2-3 times that he was living in a villa (she had a female source apparently). They played the clip on the radio yesterday. Let’s find out what/when Christiane knew. She also stated on tv that she wished she had met Bin Laden.

CJ on May 5, 2011 at 12:39 pm

The US has always censored the media. Hence, Dubya would not allow the release of pictures of the coffins of the US military being shipped back to the US. He didn’t want the population here to see the toll taken in innocent lives of the war he created.

No one in the gov’t had anything to do with the release of the photos of Abu Gharib (sp?). Those photos were taken by other military personal and published diverting. But if the gov’t could have stopped the photos, u bet they would have.

Lee in IL on May 5, 2011 at 2:52 pm

Why did Obama bury Osama at sea rather than displaying him and refuse to release the pics? Today in D.C. 25 elementary schools received envelopes with white powder inside. Apparently it was harmless. This time. If Obama knew about some domestic threat in the making, could that have affected his judgment?

Solomon2 on May 5, 2011 at 9:38 pm

Whose photos are those above – below Obama’s?

Infidel on May 6, 2011 at 5:20 am

Don’t waste your time with FOIA…they’re a frickin’ joke like everything else in the government. By the time you get it, 90% will be redacted leaving you with mere tidbits of psychobabble that get you no further to the answer(s) or truth than when you started.

Gotta do that to “protect the innocent” backstabbers, liars, and spindoctors.

IceNoMore on May 6, 2011 at 8:34 am

I’m having a bit of difficulty understanding why Fox News refers to the dead one as Usama, and others call him Osama? Unless it’s ‘Usama’ who’s dead and ‘Osama’ who is still wandering around somewhere…???

It sickens me to know that this government of ours blatantly hands us bs after bs because they consider us so ‘stupid’… and they’re right. If we’d have been smart enough to pay attention, maybe we wouldn’t be in this ridiculous predicament. We know the truths (some of us do anyway).

SGT: B/c the pretentious people at FOX News don’t have a clue that Usama/Osama are the same thing in Arabic. DS

Steph G Thomas on May 8, 2011 at 6:24 pm

I’m a no unnastand…what’s to stop the next Prez from releasing the pictures?

Dr Dale on May 9, 2011 at 2:00 pm

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