May 6, 2011
I agree with President Obama’s decision not to release the photographs of the body of Osama bin Laden. The doubters would say they are doctored and it serves no useful purpose. But I do wish the Democrats had some consistency when it didn’t necessarily serve their political interests.
President Obama had no problem releasing 2,000 pictures that showed prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib in Iraq. That’s probably because it happened during the Bush administration and Obama never misses a chance to attack his predecessor.
Neither did Obama have a problem reversing an 18-year-old policy of not allowing the coffins of American dead to be photographed by the media. Now he wants to keep the picture of bin Laden under wraps. It will eventually get out. In the age of Wikileaks, you can’t hide much.
Speaking of inconsistency, how about Nancy Pelosi? In 2006, Pelosi said bin Laden’s capture or death would come too late and not make us any safer. But this week she said bin Laden’s death marked “the most significant development in our fight against al-Qaeda.” Which is it? I guess it depends who occupies the White House.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.
