Gaspar Llamazares, a Spanish MP for the Izquierda Unida party, has said that a party political photo of him has been used by the FBI to create a photo of how terrorist Bin Laden might look like in 2010.

Photo released by the US Government

Several versions of the photo were released this week by the US government and the F.B.I. The photo is purported to a digitally aged photo of wanted terrorist Osama Bin Laden.

However, Dr Llamazares says that it is obvious that his hair and facial features have been used to create the photofit. Analysis of the two photos shows that the hair and forehead are the same.

Whilst the main version of the photo shows Bin Laden as he would look like with a turban, another version of the photo, published on www.fbi.gov, shows Bin Laden without a turban. This photo was later removed after El Mundo newspaper contacted the US Embassy.

The two photos are shown here. “Osama Bin Laden” is to the left, the IU party political photo of Dr Llamazares to the right.

Complaints registered

Dr Llamazares and the IU party have made an official complaint to the Spanish Ministry of the Exterior asking for an explanation from the US government.

Dr Llamazares has also said he is investigating taking legal action over the matter.

They have also lodged a protest with the US embassy in Madrid.

“While my complaint may seem petty, this is a very serious question that affects personal liberty and the right to control one's own image” Dr Llamazares told reporters at midday today. “I hope this is simply an error by the US government which shows their low level of competance, rather than something more sinister. ”

Dr Llamazares, who is spokesperson for the Spanish Congress on Exterior Affairs, also said that until the matter is cleared up “I will not travel to the United States. The photo does not endanger Bin Laden, but it could endanger me”.

The Ministry of the Exterior has refused to comment on the matter. A spokesperson for the Spanish United Police Syndicate, contacted by the media, said it was “an absurd error that would not be committed by the Spanish police. It looks as if some technician simply surfed the web for a random photo.”

via Spanish politicians photo used by FBI to identify Bin Laden.