Govt. Seeks to Keep a Lid on Graphic bin Laden Photos

Image via WikipediaThe U.S. Justice Department wants the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to back its efforts to keep graphic photos depicting the death of Osama bin Laden from seeing the light of day.

In a supporting memorandum to its summary judgment motion to the Court in the case of Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of Defense & Central Intelligence Agency (Case No. 1:11-cv-00890-JEB), the DOJ claims the grisly images must remain classified to prevent the incitement of violence against the U.S. their release might create. According to a post by the Legal Times Blog, the photos would reveal sensitive intelligence data and military methodology.

The plaintiff contends the CIA violated classification procedures and that the government agencies in queston conducted an inadequate search for material requested under the Freedom of Information Act [5 U.S.C. sec. 552 et seq.]. Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida, was killed in May during a Navy Seal raid in Pakistan last May.

The photos at issue, according to the DOJ, include images of bin Laden's corpse and its burial at sea.