Obama, citing security, won’t release bin Laden photo

>>> good evening. the president has made his decision. the united states will not release photos showing osama bin laden after death. the white house knows this will mean no proof of death, and that's already fueling doubts and rumors and conspiracy theories, but the president said he has his reasons. he made them clear today. at the same time, all of the americans in uniform who were on the successful high-stakes raid are now being debriefed as they tell their version of what happened in the compound behind the high walls, the story of bin laden 's death continues to change around the edges. we want to start off tonight at the white house with our chief white house correspondent, chuck todd . good evening.

>> reporter: good evening, brian. hoping to shut down what was becoming a divisive debate, the president decided national security concerns in deciding against releasing the dead bin laden photos. honoring wounded warriors at the white house , he praised u.s. forces for taking out osama bin laden .

>> thanks to the courage and predecisionen of the forces, the terrorists learned that america does not forget. america will insure that justice is done.

>> but for those who want to see the evidence of that justice, they'll have to wait. press secretary jay carney quotes the president from an interview with cbs today.

>>> it's important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement of additional violence of a propaganda tool. that's not who we are. we do not trot this stuff out for trophies.

>> cia director leon panetta said this to brian williams yesterday.

>> we got bin laden , and i think we have to reveal to the rest of the world the fact that we were able to get him and kill him.

>> there's also division on capitol hill .

>> my opinion is it's not necessary to do so.

>> reporter: and no shortage of opinion loin wheonline where news stirred the pot on the page. it goes to credibility. here in the middle east , the internet is buzzing with doubt, and so are the newspaper headlines. there are facebrook groups popping up as well with names like osama bin laden is not dead. all of this just in the last couple of days. and for some back home, an argument to release those photos. osama bin laden has been a phantom for a decade, and i think not releasing that photo allows him to remain a phantom.

>> reporter: three people who said they saw the photos yesterday are backing off the claim. i can tell you this, administration sources tell me no senator has been shown a photo so far.

>> chuck todd starting us off at the white house . thanks.