NO PHOTOS – AT 7:54 P.M. ET:  President Obama has decided against releasing any death photos of Osama bin Laden.  His stated logic is that we know bin Laden is dead, and the photos could incite violence.

There is no right or wrong here.  Arguments could be made each way.  On the one hand, a poll shows most Americans want the photos released, and they could provide some evidence that death actually occurred.  On the other, anyone who believes that this whole thing is a hoax would simply say that the pictures were doctored. 

I was watching Fouad Ajami on CNN earlier, who weighed in by agreeing with Obama, saying that we should do what suits us, and not worry so much about the rest of the world – you know, "world opinion."  I have great regard for Ajami, who has a history of getting things right, and I'd lean in his direction.

As for "proof," the only absolute proof we had was sent, prematurely, to the bottom of the sea, out of "respect" for Muslim traditions.  It turns out that virtually every Muslim "scholar" who's spoken on the subject rejects what we did.  Big surprise there.  We should have kept the body long enough for international inspection and full chemical tests.

What can be done for "proof" now, without someone yelling that it's fake?  I have this idea:  Let President Obama challenge Osama bin Laden, if he is still alive, to make a TV tape, hold up a newspaper from the day he makes the tape, make comments showing he's aware of events after his announced death, and let the tape be made in closeup, so the world's governments, using face recognition technology, can confirm that it is truly bin Laden.  And let his voice then be "voice printed" and compared with known bin Laden tapes.  That should do it, except for the most insane or corrupt of people and governments. 

Of course, that won't happen because bin Laden is dead.  The fact that the White House has royally botched the aftermath of the raid does not change the basic fact.  If bin Laden were not dead, I guarantee that some news organization, or organizations, would have already been contacted covertly by military people outraged over the misuse of their unit's name and prestige.  A conspiracy to fake something like this inevitably would involve hundreds or thousands of people, all of whom would be willing to remain silent.  It's nonsense.

May 4, 2011