This afternoon, DOJ informed Judicial Watch that the CIA has uncovered another 7 photos of Osama bin Laden’s body, taken after the raid that ended his life on May 1st, 2011. The previous known photos of bin Laden have been classified and withheld from the public. Today’s letter from DOJ states that these new photos are “of the same nature” as the other photos and will also be classified and withheld.
“This revelation raises new questions,” said Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch. “This Administration’s over-the-top secrecy is disturbing.”
Soon after the raid that killed bin Laden, Judicial Watch filed a FOIA request to obtain photos of his body, which the Administration acknowledged existed. That request was rejected and Judicial Watch is suing in DC Appeals Court to force the government to release the photos.
Today’s letter from DOJ was also filed with the federal court.
The DOJ letter has a certain comic aspect to it. It notes that the CIA had previously identified photos of bin Laden’s body, yet somehow it missed these 7. The raid to kill bin Laden was one of the more meticulously planned and executed operations in our military’s history. Yet, the folks at the CIA managed to temporarily lose photos of the planet’s most wanted terrorist?
Seriously.