An amazing array of eye-opening al-Qaeda documents, seized during the raid of Osama bin Laden’s compound last year, will be made public today. The collection of thousands of files has been described as a treasure trove of information on the Islamist organization – and the single largest cache of terror material obtained at a senior level.

The 6 000 files, 17 of which will be released to the public this afternoon, were extracted from numerous computers, hard drives and external data storage devices found in bin Laden’s hideaway by US Navy Seals during the raid of his Abbottabad compound in 2011.

Intelligence and counter-terrorist experts have been analysing the collection of documents to gain understanding about the inside workings of the group and its possible future targets for terrorist activities.

“[The files] gave us much more of an insight into the strategic agenda and intent and his [Osama bin Laden’s] desire and efforts to still maintain contact with the affiliates,” an intelligence official, who chose to remain anonymous, has said.

A selection of digital files, handwritten papers and printed material will be published on the website of US military research institution, the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC), later today. Documents will be available  for public viewing on the site, and published in Arabic and English.

[Source: Telegraph]