MEDIA ALERT

An Excerpt from the Interview in which the President Gives his Reasons Will be Broadcast Tonight (4) on THE CBS EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC

            President Obama has decided not to release the gruesome photos of a dead Osama bin Laden, he tells Steve Kroft in a 60 MINUTES interview conducted at the White House earlier today (4).    The interview with the president, his first since bin Laden was killed in a covert U.S. military raid on his Pakistan compound, will be broadcast on

60 MINUTES Sunday, May 8 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television network.

            An excerpt from the interview in which President Obama explains his reasoning for holding back the photos will appear on THE CBS EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC tonight (4) 6:30-7:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.   A transcript of that exchange follows:  CREDIT 60 MINUTES

                        STEVE KROFT:

Did you see the pictures?

                        PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:

Yes.

                        STEVE KROFT:

What was your reaction when you saw them?

                        PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:

It was him.

                        STEVE KROFT:

Why haven't you released them?

                        PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:

You know-- we discussed this internally.  Keep in mind that-- we are absolutely certain this was him.  We've done DNA-- sampling-- and testing.  And-- and so there is no doubt that-- we killed-- Osama bin Laden.  It is 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 to additional violence.  As a propaganda tool. You know, that's not who we are.  You know, we don't trot out this stuff as trophies.  You know, the fact of the matter is this was somebody who was-- deserving of the justice that he received.  And I think-- Americans and people around the world are glad that he's gone.  But-- but we don't need to spike the football.  And-- I think that given the-- the graphic nature of these photos-- it would-- create some national security risk.  And I've discussed this with-- Bob Gates and Hillary Clinton and-- my intelligence teams and they all agree.

                        STEVE KROFT:

There are people in Pakistan, for example, who say, "Look, this is all a lie.  Obama, this is another American trick.  Osama's not dead."

                        PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:

You know, the truth is  that and we-- we're monitoring worldwide reaction.  There's no doubt that Bin Laden is dead.  Certainly there's no doubt among al Qaeda members that he is dead.  And so-- we don't think that-- a photograph in and of itself-- is going to make any difference.  There are going be some folks who deny it.  The fact of the matter is, you will not see bin Laden walking on this earth again.

            In Sunday's interview, the president will reveal for the first time his thoughts as he watched and listened from the Situation Room of the White House as the commando-style raid unfolded.

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Press Contact:                          Kevin Tedesco   212 975-2329 kev@cbsnews.com