Bin Laden corpse photo is a fake; Al Qaeda Chief receives heartfelt burial

An image of Osama bin Laden's corpse broadcast on Pakistani television and picked up by British newspaper websites is fake, the Guardian UK reported on Monday.

The image - a composite of a genuine photograph of Bin Laden taken in 1998 and that of another corpse - had been circulating on the internet for the past two years. The image had been used by various websites to support their claims that Bin Laden had already been killed several years ago.

[That addresses my quandary as to why Bin Laden's beard, which became significantly grey in recent years, appeared to be much darker in the (corpse) photo than in real life.]

According to the AP, the White House has yet to decide whether it will release an authentic photograph of Bin Laden's corpse.

The President's counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, said that releasing the photo could potentially jeopardize similar operations and intelligence sources in the future.

In a related development, President Obama said that the remains of the distinguished terrorist had been handled in accordance with Islamic custom, which requires speedy burial, MSNBC reported.

Bin Laden was buried at sea after being washed according to Islamic custom during a religious funeral. According to Islamic teachings, the highest honor to be bestowed on the dead is giving the deceased a swift burial, preferably before sunset, MSNBC noted.

A Muslim seaman conducted the burial ceremony and said the proper prayers, according to ABC News.

As part of the Muslim burial prayers, Weazel Zippers notes, the officiant beseeches the Lord to "forgive" the deceased, to "have mercy on him", to "keep him safe and sound", to "honor the place where he settles", to "make his entrance wide", to "admit him to Paradise and to "make his grave spacious" and to "fill it with light".

By affording Bin Laden a proper burial ceremony, befitting a terrorist of his stature, the Muslim world can rest assured knowing that the U.S. is not at war with Islam. Similarly, the 9/11 victims can rest assured knowing that their killer received the burial they never got....