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After much back and forth and strong hints from administration officials to the contrary, President Obama has decided not to release photos of a dead Osama bin Laden.

Sensitivities in the Islamic world apparently weighed heavily in the president鈥檚 decision. On one side was a desire to answer the mushrooming conspiracy theorists in Muslim countries, who are clamoring for proof of the death of Al Qaeda鈥檚 leader. But on the other were concerns that what the White House has admitted are 鈥済ruesome鈥� photos could spark harsh reactions across a swath of the world in which the president is hoping to improve relations.

In the end, Mr. Obama opted to avoid enflaming Muslim emotions by offering proof that might not convince all doubters anyway, according to CBS News. Obama discussed his decision in an interview for the CBS program 鈥�60 Minutes.鈥�

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

鈥淲e're not interested in trotting around photos as trophies,鈥� White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Wednesday. 鈥淭hat's not who we are.鈥�

Obama ultimately decided that it was important to avoid releasing photos that could be used as an 鈥渋ncitement to additional violence or as a propaganda tool,鈥� Mr. Carney said.

Explaining why the president felt that the photos could be 鈥渋nflammatory,鈥� Carney cited 鈥渁 long history of photographs like that being used to rally opinion鈥� and to turn people like Mr. bin Laden into martyrs.

Obama鈥檚 decision not to release the photos of bin Laden鈥檚 body followed more than 24 hours of debate that revealed a White House and administration with a surprisingly uncoordinated message on the issue.

On Tuesday top administration officials were stating publicly that it was more a matter of when than if a photo would be released. Obama鈥檚 counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, said the White House was carefully weighing how to offer evidence, and CIA Director Leon Panetta said it was a foregone conclusion that 鈥渦ltimately a photograph would be presented to the public.鈥�

IN PICTURES: Bin Laden's compound

But apparently other top officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, opposed the release of photos 鈥� which reveal a body shot through the eye with part of the head missing, according to officials who insisted on anonymity 鈥� in consideration of the impact such images could have in the Muslim world.

Some officials and a few members of Congress underscored the point that, in the battles with terrorists and Islamist extremists that have followed the 9/11 attacks, the US has deplored as barbaric and disrespectful any photos or videos showing Americans who were killed, whether US soldiers or civilians.

Obama鈥檚 decision appears to end the photo debate for now, but not everyone seems to believe that the photos and other evidence of bin Laden鈥檚 death will remain concealed forever.

Sen. Carl Levin (D) of Michigan, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, says the administration should 鈥渨ait days or weeks鈥� before disclosing what 鈥渨ill be a sensational picture.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檇 let a little time pass so that we don鈥檛 play into the hands of people who want to retaliate,鈥� Senator Levin said outside a classified briefing on the bin Laden mission.

But Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R) of Georgia told reporters outside the same briefing that the US is better off controlling the release of information that will get out. 鈥淥ne of these days they鈥檙e going to be released,鈥� he said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 a question of whether it be now on our terms or [whether we let] somebody else do it.鈥�

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