Monday 2 January 2012

The Situation Room


Picture author: Pete Souza
Picture captured: 4:06 PM on May 1, 2011 in the White House Situation Room.

This photo was taken during Operation Neptune Spear which lead to the killing Al-Qaeda's leader - Osama bin Laden. Picture depicts 13 people who are following operations of the US Army by online transmission. Those are most powerful people in the White House with the US president Obama and vice-president Biden. This picture received an instant recognition, possibly because there were not any pictures of dead Osama.

Analysts of the picture also tend to emphasise the growing importance of women in the highest level of authorities. There are 2 women present on the photo. It also shows a change in Obama's presidential leadership style. President wears more casual clothes than usual, he is not in the centre of the room, and does not sit on the highest seat. He shows himself more as a collaborator than a ruler, which is different than previous presidents liked to be showed.

The presence of women on the photo was also striking to the Jewish newspaper Der Tzitung which removed them from the photo. They stated that ultra orthodox Jewish laws forbid them to show 'sexually suggestive images’. The newspaper apologised for their attempt to alter history later on. They said they removed women from the photo of modesty reasons, not to degrade them.

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