CIA has 52 graphic Osama death photos, but wants to keep them secret

Washington, Feb.1 (ANI): Though there has been a clamour for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to release secret images and videos of Osama bin Laden's death, the agency wants to keep them classified and secret.

Now it appears a reluctant U.S. government might be forced into revealing some of the 52 graphic photos thanks to a lawsuit filed by an activist group.

The government is legally obliged to respond to the Judicial Watch lawsuit, the Daily Mail quoted a former top privacy official, as claiming.

Former Justice Department Office of Information and Privacy director Dan Metcalfe told The Atlantic Wire he had looked closely at the brief.

"It in effect concedes that there are reasonably segregable, non-exempt portions of the records that are legally required to be disclosed," he was quoted, as saying.

The 'graphic' images include 'post-mortem images of Osama's body', CIA National Clandestine Service director John Bennett wrote in September.

'They depict the fatal bullet wound to Bin Laden's head and other similarly gruesome images of his corpse,' he added, reported ABC News.

Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit through a Freedom of Information request three days after Osama bin Laden was killed by Navy SEALs in Pakistan.

The CIA, however, is worried that if any photos are released they could be inflammatory by inspiring terror attacks on U.S. targets by other extremists.

Bin Laden was buried at sea following Muslim traditions to avoid creating a shrine to his extremist followers.

Privacy expert Dan Metcalfe said President Barack Obama went too far in trying to keep all of the death images of Bin Laden a secret. (ANI)