Obama Administration Reportedly Block Release of Controversial Pictures of Backup Air Force One

The White House has reportedly barred the release of the photographs from the infamous flight of the backup Air Force One plane over lower Manhattan. Despite the fact that the White House approved the flight at the cost of $328,835, it appears to have little hesitation to withhold the photographs to avoid further embarrassment.

The Post quotes an Obama official as saying that “[w]e have no plans to release them.” Yet, while the military classified the entire operation, the White House admitted that this was simply a photo op. The Administration has barred release, even though videos of the flight can be found on the Internet.

This is precisely the type of conduct that led to the criticism of the Bush Administration for barring photos of the coffins of fallen soldiers. If one believes in transparency in government, the withholding of pictures to quell criticism is hardly a promising start.

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