Legion calls for release of bin Laden photo

I'm sure these photos are much too graphic to be released to the public, and will only incite more killing. The Commander is wrong, the President is right.

The President is right, the Commander is wrong!!

Consider the previous comments. Our trust is in our brothers in arms. The Navy Seals outstanding execution for which they need to be kept anonymous must be the topic of discussion. I will stand by their word not the government bureaucrats. Photos are not necessary for patriots. Release would show the same lack of humanity as our enemies without any sense of honor. Commander retract your call to release the photos.

We are the only country that seems to have to play by rules including in war. Why is this. War there are no rules. If it was a football game and one side had rules and the other did not who do you think would take the biggest hits. War sucks. People should see pictures of what it looks like including Bin Laden's head blown off. Nobody thinks twice of showing other graphic pictures of dead people. If we don't want to see these things then maybe we as a human race should consider not doing these things. I say bring all our boys home surround our country keep everyone out until we fix ourselves. If we need it we make it, if we want it we make it, become self sufficient, quit borrowing money from China and giving it to countries like Pakistan and show the pictures so we know why we should do these other things. And who are we gonna piss off that doesn't already hate us anyway. Sorry if this offends anyone, but we really need to take care of ourselves.

Americans have obtained justice with this particular devil's death. Photo release will unleash more anti-American behavior around the world. Gloating is not what we need to do. Let's show some class and drop the request for photo evidence - that is really a sad commentary on this organization's thinking. We are not a million meatheads out here.

He is nuts. NO way. That is a self serving attitude and I only wonder what is in it for Mr Foster. He should step down if he thinks he is talking for all of us.

I feel that only those who want to see the pictures of his death would look. When you drive by an accident its your choice to look. I strongly feel that if these pictures are not to be released then the pictures of our beloved ones coming home in a flag drapped coffin should not be realsed either. Nor should their funerals be lined with the idiots heckling the families.Talk about starting a riot, The laws are the laws if you seal the pictures of one, you seal the pictures of ALL. Seems like Obama says its ok to print the pictures of our dead coming home in flag drapped coffins and allow that church group to heckle the family, but god forbid we print pictures of the evil that started the whole thing. Its one or all make up your mind. looks like you shot your self in the foot on this one. (i didn't name that so called church group for a reason, they don't deserve to be named.)

You say you have no doubt that Osama Bin Laden is dead - then what is the point of flaunting gruesome photos in the media? You say "we" paid for them - well, we also paid for the deaths of 3000+ US soldiers - should we also demand those photos be shown?

I never thought I would see the American Legion become the new "birther" or "truther" flag-bearer! Unbelievable!

Commander Foster has balls and from reading these comments its obvious that a lot of the Legion's memebership has lost theirs. No wonder returning Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan aren't joining our ranks. Why don't you start asking them if they want the photos released? I can tell you personally that there is not one member of my Infantry unit who I've talked to today that is not outraged that the President and Americans like you all are afraid of this enemy.
Thank you Commander Foster for being a man of courage and strength, And not political correctness

Alive, he was worth all our efforts. Dead, he's not worth 2 minutes of our time.

Commander Foster, what motivated you to write this article? I do not see how this has anything to do with the American Legion as an organization dedicated to helping our military brothers and sisters. You are entitled to your opinion. However, I believe you overstepped your authority if you submitted this article representing all the American Legionnaires. I do not share your views. President Barrack Obama is the Commander in Chief. We the people have a political process for disagreeing with the Commander in Chief. You can vote him out in the next election. I do not see any value in this type of inflammatory writing. If you are using this article for future political gains then you need to submit them as a private citizen and not the Commander of the American Legion.

This is a war on terror...it goes both ways! Make the other guys mother, father, wife, children worry why the one they love hasn't called home.
We don't need to prove anything other then what this dead man's belief's are wrong. Now that he is fish food, lets see another one of his video's come out.
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Our National Commander actions are putting politic's into the Legions reputation. He should resign. And all future National Commanders, who were all post Commander's best realize...the Legion's base is hometown USA, the local post!
I had a one minute conversation with our National Commander, he said "policical correctness (power) is more important then justice".

Be true to our Legion credo - do not call for the release of the Bin Laden corpse photos, because we pledge that we join together "to make right the master of might."

Indulging in and celebrating gore is what the enemy does. Let us not stoop to his lower than whale you-know-what level.

C'mon commander foster you can't speak for all your legion members. Did you bother to poll your legion members to see how they feel about this issue. How can you speak on behalf of the legion based on your own personal opinion. I agree with the presidents decision and I bet if you took the time to ask your members they may agree. Shame on you for stating the Legion calls for the release of the photos. I am part of the legion. Stop speaking for me. This is twice now you publicly state your personal views on behalf of all of us without asking us (your members) how we feel..

I agree with the gentleman that stated what this has anything to do with helping and assisting veterans. If this is where my donations are going to I don't feel I wish to remain a member of the legion.

It is the public's business. This country already has too much political correctness in how it does the public's business. All the public's business ain't pretty, but we gotta face it anyway. Release the pictures. That is to say, release the truth, ugly though it is.
And besides that, I like what the guy said about being tired of this country walking on egg shells. Get Colonel Roosevelt's big stick and break those damned eggs.

WE do not need to endanger our active duty troops by some macho desire to see this psycho with his head blown off.

It is the highest honor for a Jihadist to die for Allah, which, by Jihadist standards, Usama Bin Laden did. Releasing the photos just gives the jihadists "power in their own minds" to continue this war. BIG MISTAKE to release the photos. HUGE mistake. Commander Foster does not speak for me, and I doubt he speaks for many, that have the KNOWLEDGE of the enemy we are at war with. In fact Cmmndr Foster has pissed on his shoes a couple times in the past year.

Have you seen the Abu Ghrib photos? They were grusome. They were released. Transparency was the guide to that exposure. Now, we are told the Bin Laden images would be too horrifying. This is total BS and Obama needs to fess up.

I have to agree on the releasing "proof" that we in fact killed Osama Bin Laden. There is too much controversy about earlier reports of his death (especially Dec 2001) The quick "sea burial" and all seems too secretive. At least release to certain organizations who seek proof.

In my opinion, I am sick and tired of the lies/deception of our present administration. I personally would want to see proof to make me a believer that it actually was him.

As a 28 year veteran and a subsequent contractor doing the same work at a flying training unit, I have seen people dead and it is never an appealing sight.

Further, I did not pay for the photos as you seem to think. I paid to have UBL taken care of. I usually do not believe everything my government tells me. But I have friends in "the sandbox" and they tell me UBL is history. They I believe. And that's good enough for me.

So if you want the photos, use your name and leave this PUFL member out of it. You do not speak for me on this issue.

I absolutely disagree with releasing the photos of bin laden. Serves no purpose at all to release these.

No the photos should not be released. That makes us no better than those in the Islamic world who paraded the mutilated bodies of US service members for all to see. You think those terrorist can't be any angrier at Americans than they already are? You are wrong! They are hopping mad and making plans for retaliation. Our Military are in greater danger than ever before and we all better be alert. Let's not add anymore fuel to the fire by releasing those photos, ever!

I would say Commander Foster's reason for wanting the photos released is the same reason another great man, Ike, ordered that pictures be taken of Hitler's death camps and ovens, so that some stupid person should not have the audacity to say that it never happened. There are several idiots who proclaim that Hitler didn't do anything but roast marshmallows at these sites. Just because the pictures are released doesn't mean that anyone has to look. Yes, Obama is wrong, like he has been for the past two years.

I was appalled by the news that the 'Legion calls for release of Bin Laden photo' but relieved to find upon reading the article that it was merely the personal opinion of the commander. It's an opinion that I do not share. I support the President's decision and was relieved last night to hear the news that he was NOT going to release the photo. Leave the sensationalism to Fox News and the National Enquirer where it belongs. Let's move on and start figuring out how we're going to pay back that 'trillion dollars' we borrowed to pay for those pictures (or something else equally as important). In any event, as a paid up for life member of the American Legion, I would appreciate it, Commander, if you would stick to writing about matters of Legion policy and keep your opinions about current events to yourself. At the very least, don't legitimize them by pretending they are the views of the Legion as a whole.

Having just read the first page of comments I am appalled. It was just like reading a page of comments from the Huffington Post. If you think this picture will be inflammatory what about the pictures from Abu Gahrib that our illustrious President was all in favor of releasing. He and the majority of the leadership party of the time were frothing at the mouth to get them out.We have to realize that they hate us no matter what we do. I want them to fear us not love us. Our Men in country are doing a fine job of making them fear us. As for whether he is dead or not, I don't know. And anyone honest on this board doesn't either. We have a dishonest government and an honest honorable Military. I would believe the word of any member of SEAL Team Six but I don't believe anything out of Washington until I have proof. Mr. Foster speaks for me too.

We are fighting a war of good against evil. We are the "good" and the radical Islamic terrorists are the "evil". Exactly what good would we be doing by publishing those photos? The only reason to do so would be to prove to the American taxpayer that his dollars have been well spent. I feel we can trust the reports of the covert actions of our brave warriors enough that further proof isn't necessary. I feel that that's having faith in the "Good", even though some may feel that's thinking naively.

The "evil", on the other hand, could use those photo's as propaganda to spur more hate and discontent against us, our way of life, and our brave military people who have put themselves in harms way for our protection.

This is a 3 way war.........open military, covert, and winning of hearts and minds. Publishing those photos won't help any of those efforts.

This proud nation should not gloat or pander to the conspiracy theorists. If you don't think he's dead go find a SEAL and tell him you think they are helping Obama lie to the American people. And good luck with that one!

If pictures are released and cause a backlash. What do you think they did when they said he was unarmed?

Public enemy #1 is dead. Let's rejoice that an enemy is dead. OBL was a clear enemy. As the leader of Al Qaeda, he was responsible for the death of over 3,000 men, women, and children on 9/11, as well as those who died on the USS Cole, the deaths of US servicemen shot down in Somalia in Operation Restore Hope, the 301 persons killed and 5,000 injured in bombings of U.S. Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, the bombing of a synagogue in Tunisia, the deaths of 180 people in a nightcludb in Bali, and the list goes on. OSB has been the deadliest terrorist of this young century.

The graphic nature of photos related to the above list created a national security risk. How many doubted Hitler's death? There were no photos. On the contrary, Musolini's pictures depicting his death translated into realism. These were used as symbols of justice for sure.

I am a Vietnam Vet and an American Legion member for many years and I agree with those members who say don't release the photos...this is a time to honor and remember those Americans who lost their lives, the fire fighters who risked their lives and the American people who shared the tragedy...not to remember an evil man's death, which is little consolation and the pictures would well be used by the terrorists to get others to join their cause and facilitate more hatred for Americans. We are better than this! Look at all the pictures of the holocaust and still there are stupid people that don't believe it happened...I like one member's comment "Go ask the Navy Seals if they are lying...good luck with that one" I went through boot camp with the Navy Seals and they came on some missions as well...they are a special breed...nuff said.
Ron

Bin Laden is dead. Pictures won't help convince anyone who doesn't already believe the news. If you give them pictures, they'll just say the pictures are faked. Some people will never believe he's dead. That's just the way it is. Some people still don't believe we've ever been to the Moon. You can't change their minds. So why waste time on it? True or not, Bin Laden's death doesn't change anything. Extremists will continue to cause problems. America will continue to be the World's police. And some people will never believe anything they don't want to believe, no matter how much evidence you give them. And the Earth still spins......

Target destroyed. Move on to the next mission.

WHAT??? Release the bloody photo's?? Are you kidding me?? Are we that stupid??

Those photos will do absolutely nothing to protect my men and women. To the contrary, it will only insight fury. We, as Americans, are better than that!! To show the triumphs of a bloody battle is what our enemies do. NOT Americans!! Have we already forget the unbridled hatred we ALL felt when we saw images of our dead being paraded on TV!!! We ALL called them barbaric!!! We need to shut the hell up, and allow it to slowly become a memory! I keep seeing people begging for the photo's! How sick are YOU?? Because you certainly are not risking your life with your words, but you are risking the lives of my Marines who are currently deployed!

this group is more cocerned with VA benefits and politics than Victory

President Obama is correct in this matter.

I was outraged when the enemy released photos of our troops. It is a disgraceful act. Not worthy of a leader.

Releasing gory photos of him would lower us to their level.

We do not target the innocent, that makes us right, and them wrong. We do not follow in the enemy's footsteps.

Commander Foster's opinion in this matter, is not the opinion of this veteran.

There are more worthy challenges for the legion commander, than gory photographs.

There are homeless veterans living under overpasses, sleeping on old mattresses, if they are lucky.

Thank you for your service Commander Foster.

There's no comparison of photos published of the NAZI death camps and photos of a dead Bin Laden. Most Germans denied knowledge of, or actually did not know what was going on in the death camps during WWII. Most of the rest of the world did not know the full extent of the horrors of the death camps until they saw the reports and photographs published in printed media. Today we have the internet, which sucks in information from everywhere, truths, half-truths, speculation, rumors and lies alike. Bin Laden's photos would just be another gruesome reminder of how ugly and violent this world can be. Bin Laden deserved what he got. If his death photos were published, they would become the income and gossip producing fodder of media around the world, perhaps even financially benefiting Al Quaida. For me, it's enough that we live in a safer world today.

Bottom line is the Legion has no business getting into this debate. They are not representing this veteran/Legionnaire's beliefs and I don't appreciate having the association forced on me. Lets focus on serving veterans and our communities.

Mr. Obama is the commander and chief of our country.
We may or may not agree what he wants, But we Must support him in whatever he desides. That is what makes us better than them.

GOD BLESS AMERICA !!

The Legion is supposed to be Non-partisan. Obviously, the principle of being a non-partisan organization has gone down the crapper. In 2005, the Legion published the opposite position on publishing photographs of the enemy. here it is -

American Legion Condemns Court Ruling on Abu Ghraib Photos, Pledges Fight September 30, 2005

"In a strongly worded letter, the leader of the nation's largest military veterans organization today urged the U.S. Attorney General to appeal a district court decision that would put the lives of Americans in jeopardy.

The national commander of The American Legion, Thomas L. Bock, wrote Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales that he must lead the way in overturning the "extremely dangerous" decision of U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein yesterday to release 74 photos and three videotapes from the Abu Ghraib prison.

I am a veteran of Desert Storm and spent 3 years living in the Middle East, my son is in the special forces and has been in and out of both Iraq and Afghanistan on many ops. He and I both agree that IT IS DONE, LEAVE IT ALONE. The only thing that releasing these photos will do is to create a martyr out of bin Laden and pour fuel on a fire that is already too large. Are we as Americans better than this? Did we gloat at the end of WWII when Japan surrendered? NO we rebuilt their nation, because that is the way we are. I would expect and we have seen on more than one occasion the broken, burned or beheaded bodies of Americans paraded through the streets of nations in the Middle East and plastered on the various types of media until it makes us sick. BUT WE AS THE MOST POWERFUL NATION ON THIS EARTH ARE BETTER AND ABOVE THIS. Releasing these photos will do nothing but harm. My heart goes out to the families that have lost loved ones in this war on terror, but this will serve no good.