Our newsroom compatriots at The Huffington Post are keeping close tabs on Obama's visit to Ground Zero, check it:
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Ground Zero and meet with 9/11 families and first responders when he visits Thursday.
From the heart of the shocking terror strike on America, Obama will try to bury the memory of Osama bin Laden by honoring those who died in the fiery Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. In private talks with families and a somber ceremony at ground zero, Obama is out to let New York have its own moment of justice.
Following the death of bin Laden, the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, Obama plans to mark the occasion by visiting the most famous site of bin Laden's destruction.
The president invited former President George W. Bush to accompany him, but Bush declined. The al-Qaida attack, which killed about 3,000 people, occurred in the early months of Bush's presidency in 2001.
Bush spokesman David Sherzer said earlier this week the former president appreciated the offer to attend but has chosen to remain out of the spotlight during his post-presidency. He added that Bush celebrates bin Laden's death as an "important victory in the war on terror."
The White House says Obama's trip will include a private meeting with family members of 9/11 victims, a meeting with first responders that will be open to some news coverage, and a wreath-laying at the 9/11 memorial.
On Thursday, the Obama administration announced that it would not release photos of a slain bin Laden so the world could see some proof of death. The president said he would not risk giving propaganda to extremists or gloat by publicizing grotesque photos of a terrorist leader shot in the head.
Read more at The Huffington Post.