The picture on the left is a file photo from Reuters. The center image was sent in by a number of readers as an email attachment--it's initial provenance is unknown. The image on the right is a blend of the two others we made here at msnbc.com.


[img]http://4.bp..com/-M3Jm8pv7HWE/Tb5TTmgBVFI/AAAAAAAAE_I/pJotD1tpVuk/s1600/osama-dead2.jpg[/img]

[size=5]We think that bin Laden 'death photo' is a fake[/size]

Please be forewarned that an image lower down on this post looks like the bloody face of a dead body. Some viewers might find it disturbing. We don’t think the wounds are real, but you still might not want to look at it.

An image circulating on the Internet and displayed on some television news programs abroad purports to show Osama bin Laden’s bloody corpse. No U.S. or Pakistani officials have confirmed its authenticity, and two U.S. officials have warned NBC News that the image is a hoax.

Based on an initial look into the image file, we agree, and think it’s a fake. At first glance, the pixelation around the “wound” area and the odd lack of transition between different colored cloth and flesh indicate that the image has been manipulated.


Furthermore, the facial expression and beard are very reminiscent of a 1998 image of bin Laden, the first picture shown below. Next to it, we show the original resolution of the “corpse” image as we’ve seen it (197 by 263 pixels), “flopped” 180 degrees on the horizontal axis to conform to the original 1998 image’s beard orientation. The third image is a blended image of the two, with the “corpse” image at 100 percent opacity below the original image at 43 percent opacity. The way the images “lock” in place at the mouth, beard and nose indicate to us that the image circulating on the Web and some foreign television outlets is nothing but a clumsy fake:



Iraqis in Baghdad watch a news broadcast on Arabic satellite news channel Al-Arabiya showing an image which has been circulating on the internet and allegedly shows the body of Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden.


Source: http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/02/6568249-we-think-that-bin-laden-death-photo-is-a-fake

You dey mind them? lets see the picture, complete one.

The curious case of Osama Bin Laden.


Something is surly fishy.

that photo looks dodgy but the important thing is that OBL is dead

every other thing is secondary

^^^

If we have no "real" picture to prove that he's dead, how then would you conclude that he's dead?

hmm.

i saw this photo yesterday.

[flash=450,350]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xC7C322MRc[/flash]

Osama Assassination Hoax !!

If he's not dead, he should feel free to release one of his video or audio messages.  Even his men have admitted he's dead, yet, we have some people here whose minds are warped by conspiracy theories.

By the way, that photo-shopped picture was released by the media and not the US Govt so it's unreliability has no bearing on the authenticity of Osama's death.

Wasn't it on CNN that his pics haven't been released yet? That the US' is still contemplating if it should be released or not? Where did you guys get these photos from?

why do some of you make it sound/seem like its a big deal providing a dead man's ^osama picture? America can form an image or picture for the world to see if that's the case but its not. I can even create one for you guys to see so argue or disbelieve for other reason not picture.

stillwater:

Wasn't it on CNN that his pics haven't been released yet? That the US' is still contemplating if it should be released or not? Where did you guys get these photos from?

Help me tell them oh! America can also provide a video of Osama, the compound, the military guys, the shooting/killing without even steeping foot in Pakistan! its called technology if those of you going crazy for picture even know what that mean.

stillwater:

Wasn't it on CNN that his pics haven't been released yet? That the US' is still contemplating if it should be released or not? Where did you guys get these photos from?

Yes it was also on CNN that the picture was a work of manipulation used by a certain media to sell their papers, the US is still contemplating the release of the picture so nobody should believe that picture above, the first time I saw it-----I went "how can a dead person's mouth be that open (the mouth is set as though the person is alive)".

Methinks that in the interest of peace, decency, human dignity and all that the US should not release the picture as it will instigate the easily moved extremists of the world and I am sure it is one of the reasons dissuading them from splashing the pics all over the place. Releasing the pics may be a wrong and insensitive move on their part just like they have made the little mistake of announcing how they buried OSL, it should have been kept under wraps. The dissemination of that lil info may still instigate some extremists, I won't be surprised if some Osama followers go digging in the sea for his body to have and worship. The things we human do in the name of religion is unbelievable!  

It also beats me that the naysayers are all singing "show me a picture before I can believe " and that "the Obama adminstration are deceiving us all", how in the world will the US administration stoop to cooking up such stories,? even if anybody does, Obama for one will not go along with it. He is not a perfect person but he can't stoop to deceiving the world just to get accolades, I deem him more modest than that.

Let them hold down the pictures, there is no need to prove to the naysayers that he is dead indeed. What matters is that we all have peace in this world as all these stole the peace of our world, it gave birth to too many hatred and deaths. It's time for people to heal, forgive and live in harmony once again. Nobody should hate on others belief, we have been given the spirit of discernment and anybody is free to chose what he/she wants to believe in. Even if one is so s-t-u-pid as to choose to believe in the sand or in air, it is their choice. We need peace in our world please. 

[img]http://1.bp..com/-VwKVUqqVa-E/Tb4zBsvGmAI/AAAAAAAAK8k/jOIuWJb4m3w/s1600/Osama-killed-AJE-732963.jpg[/img]

Mariory:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13313201

Al-Qaeda has confirmed the death of its leader Osama Bin Laden, according to a statement attributed to the group and posted on jihadist internet forums.

The statement said his blood would not be "wasted" and that al-Qaeda would continue attacking the US and allies.

Bin Laden's death would be a "curse" for the US and urged an uprising in Pakistan, the statement added.

. . .

   Mariory, you should know better. Don't you know that Al-Qaeda is a secret arm of the US Govt? BinLaden was just a shadow leader, the US is secretly calling the shots behind all their operations. You berra shine your eye & ask sombodi dude.

  @Topic,
What's with Obama and retaining documents self? first Birth certificate, then school records, now these picshures  I think we need Trump to begin media-circuiting again and coerce Obama into releasing the images 

On a serious note - I for one don't care to see the pictures. I am going to trust that the Obama administration has good enough reasons not to release them.

Some of this fanatic supporters are dead-brain mo/rons, they don't believe he is dead but they are still protesting on the street of Pakistan, burning American flag, calling for American blood?

If they believe strongly that he is still alive then they should be rejoicing laughing at Americans for getting it wrong.

dat photo is as fake as a photocopy doc, yh