SEATTLE (AP) — U.S. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state says he won’t be viewing photos of Osama bin Laden’s body at CIA headquarters. In a statement late Wednesday, Smith says, “Our focus should be on preventing new threats to the safety of the American people.”
A CIA spokesman says lawmakers who oversee spy missions and military operations are being invited to see the photos in a secure room at agency headquarters in Langley, Va. Some lawmakers are making appointments to view the graphic photos. Others, like Smith, are declining.
Smith is the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. He says he supports President Obama’s decision to not release the photos, adding they’re not necessary to confirm that bin Laden is dead.
