The United States revealed that Osama bin Laden was unarmed when US commandos shot him dead and that Pakistani authorities were kept in the dark because they might have tipped off the Al-Qaeda leader.
The United States revealed that Osama bin Laden was unarmed when US commandos shot him dead and that Pakistani authorities were kept in the dark because they might have tipped off the Al-Qaeda leader. The White House gave the fullest account yet of the dramatic and momentous raid that killed the architect of the September 11, 2001 attacks and sparked scenes of relief and joy around the Western world.
But officials did not clearly explain why bin Laden was shot dead and not captured given that he was unarmed, fueling speculation that the elite Navy SEAL team had been ordered on a kill mission. "In the room with bin Laden, a womanu00a0-- bin Laden's wifeu00a0-- rushed the US assaulter and was shot in the leg but not killed," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. "Bin Laden was then shot and killed. He was not armed." When pressed further, Carney said there had been significant resistance, a "volatile firefight," and insisted, "We were prepared to capture him if that was possible."
Debate over releasing photos
US President Barack Obama is increasingly doubtful that there's a compelling reason to release a photograph of Osama bin Laden's corpse. There don't seem to be many skeptics of bin Laden's death in the Muslim world, with bin Laden's wife having survived the attack to identify bin Laden's death both to the Navy SEALs and Pakistani authorities. Meanwhile, sources say, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are advising the president about concerns that releasing a photograph could prompt a backlash against the US for killing bin Laden.
According to a senior US official, the White House has received three sets of photographs. The first batch, which clearly show bin Laden's body, was taken at a hangar in Afghanistan, the official said. The official described one of the images as a clear, but gruesome, picture of his face. Bin Laden is shown with a massive open head wound across both eyes, the official said. The other photos include the raid on the compound and bin Laden's burial at sea.
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