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The decision to quickly bury Osama bin Laden at sea was made for two overriding reasons: to avoid a burial site on land becoming a shrine while demonstrating respect for Muslim burial customs.

But now the inability of the United States to produce a body is raising doubts around the world about the death of Al Qaeda鈥檚 leader. At the same time, interested parties ranging from members of Congress to family members of 9/11 victims are calling for a release of photos the US military possesses of Mr. bin Laden鈥檚 body to allow for a sense of closure.

As a result, a White House that only last week was grappling with whether or not to release President Obama鈥檚 birth certificate to quell stubborn doubts about his birthplace now appears on the verge of releasing photos 鈥� pictures White House officials admit are 鈥済ruesome鈥� 鈥� to answer the Doubting Thomases who want graphic proof of bin Laden鈥檚 death.

Controversy in death: Seven questions about Osama bin Laden鈥檚 burial at sea

鈥淭his needs to be done thoughtfully,鈥� said White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan, appearing Tuesday on morning television. Speaking to reporters, White House spokesman Jay Carney said officials up to the president are weighing demands for the photos鈥� release against the potentially 鈥渋nflammatory鈥� nature of such an action.

Some Middle East experts warn that the US could lose the 鈥渕oral high ground鈥� by releasing pictures. The US could blemish the perception of a sensitive military operation 鈥� the fact that soldiers were used to go after the US target rather than a missile strike that could have endangered civilians 鈥� by doing the very thing it criticized in the past, says Bernd Kaussler, an expert in Middle East policy at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va.

鈥淚t happened in 2003 when US servicemen were killed and [it was] broadcast by Al Jazeera, which Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld rightly condemned,鈥� Professor Kaussler told WHSV-TV in Harrisonburg. Adding that the US was criticized for releasing photos of Saddam Hussein in his underwear when he was apprehended by US soldiers, he says, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 at stake is a moral high ground which the US has maintained鈥� in the bin Laden case.

Consensus on photo release forming

But by Tuesday afternoon a consensus appeared to be forming around releasing at least a photo of a dead bin Laden.

President Obama said in releasing his official birth certificate last week that he wanted to put an end to the 鈥渟illiness鈥� of the birthplace controversy. No one in the White House was calling the debate over bin Laden鈥檚 picture silly, however.

The seriousness was underscored by the spreading rumors in Pakistan and Afghanistan that the news of bin Laden鈥檚 death was an elaborate American lie.

IN PICTURES: Osama bin Laden death: reaction

鈥淭his news is only coming from one side, from Obama鈥檚 office, and America has not shown any evidence or proof to support this claim,鈥� said Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid in a statement released Tuesday. 鈥淥ur sources close to Osama bin Laden,鈥� he continued, 鈥渉ave not confirmed or denied the news.鈥�

Some members of Congress said some proof should be released to nip such rumors in the bud, while others said the families of 9/11 victims deserved the 鈥渃losure鈥� that a picture of a dead bin Laden would provide.

鈥淭here will be those who will try to generate this myth that he is alive,鈥� said Sen. Susan Collins (R) of Maine.

Some media experts were also beginning to weigh in on the side of releasing some form of proof of bin Laden鈥檚 death. 鈥淐onspiracy theories are starting to germinate,鈥� says Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute, a journalism school and research center in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The expert in reporting and ethics says she sees two reasons justifying the release either of photos or of video evidence: to answer public doubts, and to help answer some of the lingering questions about what really took place in Sunday鈥檚 raid.

鈥淭he public in general is increasingly cynical, everybody has an experience where they accepted something that turned out not to be true,鈥� she says. 鈥淧eople naturally doubt information, so this can help address those doubts.鈥�

'Hold the powerful accountable'

At the same time, she notes that the release of visual evidence can not only address doubts but perform the journalistic function of getting at the truth.

鈥淚t helps to hold the powerful accountable,鈥� she says.

McBride says she believes photos can be released 鈥� and published 鈥� in a 鈥渟ensitive鈥� manner. And she believes from experience that most media outlets will handle any materials released 鈥渋n an appropriate manner,鈥� although she recognizes that 鈥渁t the end of the day the White House won鈥檛 have any control over鈥� how any photos it releases are used.

Still, Senator Collins鈥檚 colleague, Sen. Marco Rubio (R) of Florida, has a different take on the issue. Speaking with reporters in Florida, he advised any doubters to simply wait for bin Laden to offer proof that the news of his death was premature.

鈥淚f he鈥檚 not [dead], let him produce a video to prove he鈥檚 not,鈥� Senator Rubio quipped. 鈥淏ecause he was pretty good at doing that once upon a time.鈥�

Controversy in death: Seven questions about Osama bin Laden鈥檚 burial at sea