Ruppersberger: Not Releasing Bin Laden Photos is the Right Move

U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger said releasing photos of Osama bin Laden after he had been shot and killed by U.S. forces would only incite violence and put more Americans in danger worldwide.

Ruppersberger, the ranking member on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, agrees with President Barack Obama’s decision Wednesday not to release the photos even as much of the American public would like to see proof that one of the masterminds of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is actually dead.

“It’s the right decision at this time,” said Ruppersberger, a Baltimore County Democrat. “The most important thing is to not put more Americans in harm’s way or put our military at risk in hot spots around the world. We don’t want to incite violence.

“We saw what happened when visions from [Iraqi prison] Abu Ghraib [Florida pastor Terry Jones] burning of the Koran became public. It led to violence and people around the world dying. We don’t need to go down that road.”

Ruppersberger should know if a legitimate threat exists. As one of “the gang of eight,” the former Baltimore County executive is often briefed on the nation’s most secret operations, including the mission to take out bin Laden.

Ruppersberger said he was first aware that credible intelligence may lead the U.S. to bin Laden, then the country’s most wanted man, in late February. CIA Director Leon Panetta informed Ruppersberger on Saturday that the U.S. was closing in on the al-Qaida leader.

“[Panetta] called me on a non-secure line so we had to talk around the subject,” Ruppersberger said. “But I understood something historic was about to occur.”

While the death of bin Laden is a huge victory in the “War on Terror,” Ruppersberger said, it does not mean the U.S. can rest on its laurels. There are many other terrorists that would like to carry out acts of violence in America as the nation continues to fight a war against a non-traditional enemy.

Ruppersberger is especially worried about Anwar al-Awlaki. The U.S.-born al-Awlaki, 40, is based in Yemen and studied at Colorado State, San Diego State and George Washington University. He is very keen at utilizing social media to spread his message, using Facebook, YouTube and blogs.

“My concern right now is in Yemen,” said Ruppersberger, who visited the country recently. “[Al-Awalaki] is very smart and has recruited a lot of smart people while working in an unstable country which allows him the freedom to do a lot of things, including training and recruiting terrorists focused on committing violence in the United States."

Known as “the bin Laden of the Internet,” al-Awalaki helped inspire the Fort Hood shootings by Nidal Malik Hasan along with Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the alleged “underwear bomber” who attempted to detonate plastic explosive while onboard a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day in 2009. Al-Awalaki also inspired Faisal Shahzad, who confessed to attempting to set off a car bomb in Times Square in May 2010.

“We have the best intelligence in the world, but one of the hardest areas to stop is a lone wolf that is not part of a major organization where we could gather info more quickly,” said Ruppersberger on al-Awalaki. “We still have the China-Russia threat, but it’s a different war now and that is why intelligence is so important, so that you can stop those kind of attacks [like 9/11].”

Ruppersberger said working on the Intelligence Committee is something he is very passionate about as his Congressional district includes key facilities in battling terrorism. The Baltimore native’s district includes the Port of Baltimore, Fort George G. Meade, the National Security Agency and Cyber Command, along with Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Part of the congressman’s role on the committee is to review and oversee budgets of 16 intelligence agencies, including those in Maryland and in his district. He wants to ensure that those agencies have the tools they need to succeed and help those on the front lines safely complete their missions.

"We are the [signals intelligence] capital of the world with Cyber Command, NSA and Aberdeen," Ruppersberger said. "This information is all happening in our district and in our state and it’s really important for our country. We should be proud because we are doing as much as anyone going after the people that killed us or tried to kill us."

Due to the sensitive nature of its work, partisan politics has no place on his committee, said Ruppersberger, who has an outstanding relationship with Rep. Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican and the committee’s chairman.

“Intelligence is not just collecting information but it’s analyzing it and getting it to the right agencies, whether it be federal, state or local to protect our citizens,” Ruppersberger said. “My experience in Baltimore County and as a councilman, executive and prosecutor allowed me to jump right in and move into leadership in intelligence.

“[Rogers and I] come from a culture of working together and are both very patriotic people. We understand what needs to be done and have the courage to step up. When it comes to doing what’s best for our country we will stick together to make it happen.”

Rogers joined Ruppersberger in his support of the president’s decision not to release photographs of bin Laden after he was killed.

“I don’t want to make the job of our troops serving in places like Iraq and Afghanistan any harder than it already is,” said Rogers in a statement. “The risks of release outweigh the benefits. Conspiracy theorists around the world will just claim the photos are doctored anyway, and there is a real risk that releasing the photos will only serve to inflame public opinion in the Middle East.

“Imagine how the American people would react if al-Qaida killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the Internet. Osama bin Laden is not a trophy—he is dead and let’s now focus on continuing the fight until al-Qaida has been eliminated.”

Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said having Ruppersberger in a prominent leadership position in Congress is crucial for the region and has been one of the reasons why there is now better coordination and communication between local, state and federal agencies compared to before 9/11.

“I’ve seen much greater coordination between the federal government and our local government with our police chief and public safety coordination for homeland security events,” Kamenetz said.

“There’s no question the level of coordination has increased significantly, and it’s mutually beneficial. We want to better protect our residents and also get information that could help the federal government in their efforts.”