The comments, which came in an interview with Steve Kroft of "60 Minutes," follow days of heated public debate over the question. A White House spokesman said yesterday it was still mulling the issue.
Several lawmakers have argued that releasing the photos is necessary to help convince people around the world that the al Qaeda chief is really dead--something that the Pakistani Taliban, among others, have denied.
CIA director Leon Panetta told NBC News yesterday that he expected the pictures--which are reportedly quite gruesome--would be released.
But others have argued against any release, saying that it would only stoke anger in the Muslim world. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both suggested internally that the photos' release could result in attacks on U.S. troops, government personnel, and American citizens, ABC News reports.
"The risks of release outweigh the benefits," said Michigan GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, who chairs the House Intelligence committee. "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."
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