Obama on decision to bury Osama bin Laden at sea

(CBS News) 

The decision to bury the body of Osama bin Laden at sea was a respectful and appropriate way that contrasted sharply with the terrorist's disregard for the 3,000 people who perished - some never to be found - in the 9/11 massacre he masterminded.

That's what President Obama tells Steve Kroft in a "60 Minutes" interview on the eve of his visit to Ground Zero to honor many of those killed in bin Laden's attack almost 10 years ago. The interview, Obama's first since the killing of bin Laden, will be broadcast on "60 Minutes" this Sunday, May 8 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

About bin Laden's burial at sea executed within 24 hours of his death as prescribed by Muslim law, the president said, "Frankly, we took more care on this than, obviously, bin Laden took when he killed 3,000 people. He didn't have much regard for how they were treated and desecrated. But that, again, is something that makes us different. And I think we handled it appropriately."

Kroft asks President Obama if it was his decision to bury the al Qaeda leader at sea. "It was a joint decision. We thought it was important to think through ahead of time how we would dispose of the body if he were killed in the compound," says the president. "And I think that what we tried to do was - consulting with experts in Islamic law and ritual - to find something that was appropriate, that was, respectful of the body."

Special Report: The killing of Osama bin Laden

The president also talked to Kroft about the decision not to release death photos of the terrorist leader:

STEVE KROFT: Did you see the pictures?

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Yes.

KROFT: What was your reaction when you saw them?

OBAMA: It was him.

KROFT: Why haven't you released them?

OBAMA: You know, we discussed this internally. Keep in mind that we are absolutely certain this was him. We've done DNA sampling and testing. And so there is no doubt that we killed Osama bin Laden. It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence. As a propaganda tool. You know, that's not who we are. You know, we don't trot out this stuff as trophies. You know, the fact of the matter is this was somebody who was deserving of the justice that he received. And I think-- Americans and people around the world are glad that he's gone. But we don't need to spike the football. And I think that given the graphic nature of these photos, it would create some national security risk. And I've discussed this with Bob Gates and Hillary Clinton and my intelligence teams and they all agree.

KROFT: There are people in Pakistan, for example, who say, "Look, this is all a lie. Obama, this is another American trick. Osama's not dead."

OBAMA: You know, the truth is that and we -- we're monitoring worldwide reaction. There's no doubt that Bin Laden is dead. Certainly there's no doubt among al Qaeda members that he is dead. And so we don't think that a photograph in and of itself is going to make any difference. There are going be some folks who deny it. The fact of the matter is, you will not see bin Laden walking on this Earth again.

In Sunday's interview, the president will reveal for the first time his thoughts as he watched and listened from the Situation Room of the White House as the commando-style raid on bin Laden's compound unfolded.

[Derlowemann]

When I read this quote I nearly lost my dinner, I cannot believe that Obama said this....And so mater of fact about it.....
About bin Laden's burial at sea executed within 24 hours of his death as prescribed by Muslim law, the president said, "Frankly, we took more care on this than, obviously, bin Laden took when he killed 3,000 people. He didn't have much regard for how they were treated and desecrated. But that, again, is something that makes us different. And I think we handled it appropriately."
YOU THINK YOU HANDLED IT APPRPRIATELY? Are you serious? What next, ask Russia to give us the remains of Adolph Hitler so we can finally give him a proper Christian burial? You know, to show the world how we handle things differently and give Hitler the respect he did not give his victims, because it show how much better we are. Get real, Obama has lost it. I swear, they get worse each election, Bush, Clinton, Bush and Obama have led America for the last 23 years and look where we are. Back then the rich got richer and poor stayed poor just like today, except there are more rich and more poor and a lot less middle class. Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama = Moe, Larry, Curley, Shemp. I am tired of voting for the lesser of two evils, I want a real candidate I will be proud to vote for and can tell people I voted for. O-ne B-ig A-$$ M-istake A-merica!!!!

[lami987]

Don't forget Reagan. He started our out of control borrow and spend policy. Before him our debt was only $900 billion.

[mooring7]

I guess it never occured to the President and his advisors that after killing Osama Bin Laden there would be a media frenzy....Its Friday he was killed Sunday and every where you look what do you see....Bin Laden photos... and the only photos are the ones that Bin Laden posed for and approved of....... I saw parts of the CBS 60 minutes interview the President explained his refusal to release the photos of the dead Bin Laden partly because they would be used for propoganda....yikes ... Bin Laden is still in control. Oh yea one other thing... Navy Seals way to go with the new dont ask dont tell policy. Dont ask permission to enter a country that harbors a terrorist and dont tell them your coming ! Politicians, get rude or get out!

[user000049586849302948603]

If you loved Osama Bin Laden that much, why didn't you marry him?

...before the Navy SEALS did a Mexican hat dance on him.

[acartegena]

Check out these guys on Facebook. They're asking everyone to post responses to this question to their wall in the form of text or video to be delivered to the newsmakers! Facebook[dot]com/matterofopinion

[mooring7]

I have heard it said that with regard to releasing the photos of a dead Bin Laden that we the American people "Are not about that". American History dating back to the 1700's would suggest that we are about that. Obtaining and preserving freedom is a blood shedding process, the civilities that would not permit such images are a followup to the committment to killing to preserve our nation and the security of its homeland. Be ever mindful that "we are about that" and while we do not hang corpses in public places there is a positive effect of the world seeing with its own eyes that this too awaits the next Bin Laden and his terrorist followers.Bin Laden once said that "Americans are not willing to die for their cause" he was wrong Americans die everyday for our cause. It is our politically correct leaders that are not willing to kill for our cause and now it appears that our leaders are not willing to be rude for our cause.
Just think if the belief that we should not stoop to their level was popular in 1941 we would have not declared war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

[Ralphinphnx]

So,maybe it is high time to stop the insane Messiah from Kenya Barack Obama worship and consider very strong possibility that the US Navy SEALS
may have actually only killed an Osama bin Laden double and not the real
Osama bin Laden,and that is the real and only reason the incompetent boob
Armchair Commander in Chief with no military experience Failure President
from Kenya Barack Hussein Obama quickly rushed to get the double buried
at sea,in spite of the fact that it may well have violated Muslim Burial
Customs and that is why now Barack Hussein Obama REFUSES to release the
pictures of the so-called Osama bin Laden dead body! Were our own US Navy
Seals set up to be Obama's dupes here? As,Barack Obama word is as totally
worthless as Barack Hussein Obama himself is nowdays! Think about it!
Did the ex-Chicago Community Organizer from Kenya pull yet another fast one on everyone maybe here? Fire & Evict Barack Hussein Obama in 2012!

[deohgee]

Hey dumb ass, are you still looking for WMD's?

[Middle_American_Man]

All the world's bodies of water are connected. Think of OBL next time you flush.

[formrusmcsgt]

For all the morons who screamed it was all a "lie":

CAIRO - Al-Qaida on Friday confirmed the killing of Osama bin Laden and warned of retaliation, saying Americans' "happiness will turn to sadness."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42928874/ns/world_news-death_of_bin_laden/

[Hamm33]

I don,t balm ya I wood not like show photo of the fool now his died. I just gland ever thing went so fast. Navy sea done good work.

[Faith_In_Jesus]

Collateral Damage

"Frankly, we took more care on this than, obviously, bin Laden took when he killed 3,000 people" Obama

Bogus statement President Obama, compared to the hundreds of thousands of innocent victims that were killed and maimed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Suddenly 3,000 doesn't seem very big, don't you think Mr. President...

[mecury69]

War is hell. Too bad Afghanistan allowed a terrorist organization to operate training camps within their territory.

[retm-w]

Hmm weren't more killed by your boy bush, yet not a word about that from you.

[sgrizzl]

I am on the fence on this one. On one side I'm glad OBL is no longer "walking the earth". On the other side I want proof. Show me the money Mr. President. Show me the money. When did our country really take what our leaders say at face value and believe it without proof. The quick burial at sea....give me a break, President Obama had nothing to do with it. That decision was made long before the operation was put in motion.

[mecury69]

That's exactly what he said. The decision was made prior to the operation as to how the body would be deposed of he was killed in the compound.

And he said it was a joint decision and since you were not there, your assertion that he had nothing to do with it is empty and groundless.

[canislupus16]

sgrizzl - What planet are you from? How do you not know of PhotoShop? A complete amateur nitwit can take any photo you care to provide him/her with and, using PhotoShop's digital editing capabilities, turn it into a grizzled (good handle, btw) mess, with a partially blown away face and skull, with brains splattered all over, dark, thick, coagulated blood. Even before PhotoShop there was capability to do this. Did you see the photos of the men that WERE RELEASED who were killed at OBL's compound? How do you know those weren't fakes" Just who would you "trust" to trot out such a photo? The "guvment"? Obama? The military? The fact is you wouldn't "trust" anybody because you would rather hang on to empty conspiracy theories, and you hate Obama. No amount of proof or "money" will make you happy. Actually, the more proof, the unhappier you are. boo-hoo, you're just a Palin clone.