THE Central Intelligence Agency has begun showing US politicians death photos of Osama bin Laden that President Barack Obama said were too gruesome to be released to the public.

Senator James Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma, said he was shown 15 photographs taken of bin Laden after he was killed in a US commando raid on May 2.

In an interview with CNN, Inhofe agreed that the photos taken immediately in the compound in Pakistan immediately after bin Laden was killed were "pretty gruesome".

"One of the shots went through an ear and out through the eye socket. Or it went in through the eye socket and out -- then exploded," he said.

"That caused the brains to hang out of the eye socket, so that was pretty gruesome."

Three photos were taken after bin Laden's body was removed from the compound and flown to a US aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, Inhoffe said.

They show the body being washed and prepared for burial according to Muslim rites, and then lowered into the sea, he said.

"They had taken enough blood and material off his face so it was easier to identify who it was," Inhofe said.

"Then of course the burial at sea, had the transition -- first of all, identifying who it was. Then of course the fact that they buried him at sea," he said.

Inhofe said he had no doubt the man was bin Laden.

"Absolutely, no question about it. I've seen them. That was him. He's gone. He's history," he said.

Inhofe was among the first in what is expected to be a caravan of lawmakers making the trek to CIA headquarters in northern Virginia to view the bin Laden photos.

Republican Congressman Devin Nunes, from California, saw some photos and came away convinced they must remain under lock and key.

"I was asked, personally, to keep them secret by folks in the intelligence field, who don't want those photos released," Nunes said.

A member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Nunes cited his secrecy oath in strictly limiting his own description of the bin Laden photos whose disclosure he fears would endanger US forces.

"I'll just say this," Nunes said. "He's dead."

In deciding not to release the pictures to the public, the White House expressed fear that they would inflame sentiment in the Middle East and be used as a propaganda tool against the United States.

But Inhoffe said he still believed that those taken aboard the USS Carl Vinson should be released.

Besides Inhoffe, the senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the pictures were to be shown to other ranking members of key committees.

House and Senate intelligence panel members, congressional leaders and members of the House and Senate armed services committee have been invited to a secure room at CIA headquarters.

At least some of the photos show bin Laden's face, or what remained of it after he was shot twice by a Navy SEAL commando.

One of the bullets hit the 54-year-old bin Laden above the left eye and the other entered his chest, Obama administration officials say.

The type of weapon, calibre of bullet, distance at which bin Laden was shot and full extent of structural damage done have not been formally divulged by the administration.

Nunes said congressional intelligence committee members were shown "photos and videos" at a briefing, and he noted that the House panel had asked for additional photos and videos to be provided in secret as well.

"We have not seen all of them yet," Nunes said.

"The committee has asked them to bring all of their photos and videos."

Still others opted out.

"I don't want to see it," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters, calling the photos "morbid".

John McCain, the Republican senator, told a journalist he did not plan to see the images, noting: "I've seen enough dead people in my life."

The public at large would get a chance to see the photos if the Associated Press and other US news organisations succeed in Freedom of Information Act requests filed to gain access.

The CIA, though, is likely to cite national security or other concerns in rejecting the FOIA requests.

"I think there are a number of FOIA exceptions it will fall under," noted Nate Jones, FOIA coordinator for the National Security Archive.

Although rejected FOIA requests can prompt lawsuits, Jones added that federal judges often grant considerable deference to military and security organisations when considering freedom of information cases.

Originally published as CIA shows bin Laden death photos