They would have done it anyhow
Some columnists (Johah Goldberg notably) have been arguing that the prison photos indirectly led to the beheading. True, the photos are being used as a propaganda tool by the terrorists who committed this disgusting act, but they would have done it anyhow.
Some military contacts just sent me the video of the beheading. If you watch it, you know that these people needed no excuse other than their hatred.
I agree that the media shouldn't have released the prison photos. They could have helped stop the abuse and reported the story without showing the pictures (not to mention the fact that the military was already acting to stop the abuse). But this is only part of a larger pattern to always find fault with America, regardless of the situation. The way most of the media stresses the link between the prison and the beheading, while failing to note that this is only one of a number of beheadings and other executions perpetuated by the terrorists, is only further proof of this.
What is truly wrong about the media's actions are that they are so keen to reveal American flaws, but are unwilling to expose the magnitude of the evil we face. I saw this when I served in the war, and the more I see of it now, the more sure I am that we face two foes: those attacking us from outside, and those tearing us down from the inside.