US President Barack Obama has decided not to release death photos of Osama bin Laden. He says releasing photos of Osama bin Laden's body could pose a national security risk to the United States.

The White House says Obama has seen the photographs the US commandos took of bin Laden after they shot and killed the al-Qaeda leader. It also says the president believes the DNA and facial analysis proves the man killed in the raid was bin Laden, and that the photos are not needed as further proof.

Meanwhile, the latest New York Times/CBS News poll shows that President Obama's overall approval rating went up following the killing of terror mastermind Osama bin Laden. The support for the president rose significantly among both Republicans and independents.