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The White House said it is ending its long-running practice of having presidents re-enact televised speeches for news photographers following major addresses to the country, a little-known arrangement that fed suggestions of fakery when Barack Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden. After Obama's live, late-evening address from the East Room of the White House on May 1, five photographers were ushered in to shoot pictures as the president stood at the podium and re-read a few lines of his speech — a practice that news organizations have protested for years. Even though The Associated Press and other news...

Iranian Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi claims that Osama Bin Laden died from an illness before the US raid on his compound in Abbottabad. Iran has documents to prove it, he said. "We have credible information that Bin Laden died some time ago of a disease," Moslehi said on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Sunday, as quoted by ISNA news agency.

"Mr Moore said: 'We've lost something of our soul here in this country, and maybe I'm an old-school American, who believes in the American justice system, something that separates us from other countries. 'We say everybody has their day in court, no matter what sort of person, no matter what piece of scum they are."

It was just a firehouse chat with the guys of Engine 54 in lower Manhattan. But President Barack Obama delivered a message he hopes will also hit home with every American in this week of national catharsis: "You're always going to have a president and an administration who's got your back." In the denouement to the daring raid that brought down Osama bin Laden, the president has in effect been reintroduced to the nation. While taking care to strike the right tone — trying to savor the success of the dramatic covert operation without appearing to gloat — Obama has...

Witnesses say man may have pulled gun as Obama motorcade passed near Ground Zero Published: Thursday, May 05, 2011, 2:56 PM Updated: Thursday, May 05, 2011, 3:02 PM Kelly Heyboer/ The Star-Ledger By Kelly Heyboer/ The Star-Ledger NEW YORK — Authorities apprehended a man who witnesses say may have pulled a gun out of a backpack as President Barack Obama's motorcade passed today in New York. The man, who wore a blue hat, had dark curly hair and appeared to be in his 20s, was wearing a backpack. New York Police Department officers and Secret Service agents shouted, "Get down,...

Pres. Obama has decided NOT to release any photos. - Chuck Todd, NBC

The photos are now widespread online and in newspapers, images of a confident President Obama striding toward the camera to announce the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Not so widespread, however, is the news that the photos weren’t from Obama’s actual history-making speech. According to a Reuters blog post, the photos were taken after Obama’s actual announcement, during a brief reenactment minutes later. ~SNIP~ The reenactment isn’t the only way the administration has edited its media rollout of bin Laden’s death. In a widely used photo of Obama and his national security team in the Situation Room, what...

The details of the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound have changed a bit from last night to this morning to this afternoon. Contradicting yesterday's reports from Deputy National Security Advisor John Brennan, White House spokesman Jay Carney said today that Bin Laden was not armed when U.S. commandos raided his compound. He also said that it was "unclear" whether anybody had used a woman as a human shield, as Bin Laden was originally reported to have done. At a briefing for television reporters on Monday night, one official told Politico's John Gerstein that, "a different guy's wife was killed,"...

With all the renewed talk about waterboarding I thought it would be a good thing to open a thread where folks who have been waterboarded can sign and leave their comments for posterity.The rest of the Freepers can thank us for our service and sacrifice in perfecting this effective non-torture technique.And, there is not one person who has administered a session that has not themselves been "on the board".

Rashard Mendenhall has created a stir with comments made on his official Twitter page regarding Osama bin Laden’s death. The Pittsburgh Steelers running back on Monday tweeted: “What kind of person celebrates death? It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We’ve only heard one side…”

....Like many people who go on to alter history, for good and evil, Bin Laden lost his father when he was about 9. The family patriarch was killed in a plane crash caused by an American pilot in the Saudi province of Asir. (Five of the Sept. 11 hijackers would come from that province. His brother was later killed in a plane crash on American soil.) Osama was an extremely shy child, Coll writes. He was an outsider in his new family but also the golden goose. His allowance and inheritance was the source of his family’s wealth. He lived...

(CBS News)PORTLAND, Ore. - A Monday evening rally to celebrate the death of Osama Bin Laden has been cancelled due to security concerns, reports CBS affiliate KOIN. "Just the reaction of last nights' news has been different, in different communities and we have been getting emails. Some have been supportive - sending best wishes and there are really 'out there' emails," said Salma Ahmad, President of the Islamic Society of Greater Portland. Ahmad didn't go into detail about the threats but it could be coming from both people who have an axe to grind with Muslims and Muslims who sympathize...