Connecticut U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman was among the group of lawmakers invited to to view photos taken of Osama bin Laden’s corpse following the shooting and the killing of the terrorist mastermind.
The invitation extended to Mr. Lieberman comes just one week after the Connecticut lawmaker demanded President Obama release the photos to the public. Lieberman spokeswoman Whitney Phillips says Lieberman was given the opportunity to view the photos as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee and a member of the Armed Services Committee.
A number of lawmakers traveled to the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Virginia Thursday to view the photos.
Upon seeing the photos, Mr. Lieberman said, “there should be no doubt whatsoever that Osama bin Laden is indeed dead.” Mr. Lieberman’s office also noted that he supports President Obama’s decision not to release the photographs, citing national security risks for troops serving overseas.
The invitation follows in the wake of a decision announced by the White House not to release the photos. President Obama cited national security concerns in making the decision, noting the release of photos could lead to a backlash from Islamic extremists and supporters of bin Laden.
