Poll: Most Back Not Releasing Pics

Politico reports:

Close to two-thirds of Americans support President Barack Obama’s decision not to release photos of Osama bin Laden’s corpse.

An NBC News poll conducted in the weekend after the White House decided against putting out the images taken after the successful raid in Pakistan found 52 percent of Americans saying they strongly back the president’s choice to keep the photos under wraps. Another 12 percent of those surveyed said they agreed, but not strongly, for a total of 64 percent.

The president said last week that he did not want the United States to appear excessively celebratory, or to do anything that might endanger American troops or citizens. “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,” he said in an interview that was taped on Wednesday and broadcast on “60 Minutes” on Sunday night.

“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 or as a propaganda tool,” Obama added.

Some photos reportedly show gory injuries to bin Laden’s face – he was shot in the eye. Other images were taken of his burial at sea.

Of those surveyed, 24 percent said they strongly think the photos should be released, while another five percent agreed less strongly.