THE MESS – AT 8:38 A.M. ET:  While the Obama administration takes deep bows over the killing of Osama bin Laden, it's become clear that it's the American military that deserves virtually all the credit, with the administration messing up the aftermath big time. 

Newspapers around the world are ridiculing the contradictory statements that have come from Washington since the operation.  Even generally pro-American papers like London's Telegraph have raised eyebrows.

And now there is apparently a fierce controversy over whether to release photos of the dead terrorist to satisfy at least some of those who are doubting the story:

President Obama is increasingly doubtful that there's a compelling reason to release a photograph of Osama bin Laden's corpse, ABC News has learned.

There don't seem to be many skeptics of bin Laden's death in the Muslim world, with bin Laden's wife having survived the attack to identify bin Laden's death both to the Navy SEALs and Pakistani authorities.

Meanwhile, sources say, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are advising the president about concerns at the Pentagon and State Department that releasing a photograph could prompt a backlash against the US for killing bin Laden where one does not seem to currently exist.

The internal debate at the White House is then informed by this question: why are we releasing this photograph if no one seems to really doubt his death and releasing it could cause more harm than good?

US official: "The only skeptics are extremists and they wouldn't be convinced by a photograph anyway. So the president has to weigh the potential negatives and they're huge, there's a tremendous risk of the photo becoming a rallying cry for attacks against US soldiers, government personnel, and Americans in general."

COMMENT:  There's some wisdom to that argument.  But surely the aftermath could have been better planned by officials paid to handle diplomatic and information issues.  When you can't get your story straight, journalists will pounce and skeptical people, especially in the Mideast, will wonder. 

The reasoning in Washington seems to change by the hour, and we'll try to keep up with it.

May 4, 2011