Seized material shows value of Bin Laden manhunt: CIA

CIA Director Leon Panetta says the tracing of Bin Laden shows CIA's "perseverance, skill and sheer courage."

WASHINGTON: The trove of material seized in the raid on Osama bin Laden's hideout demonstrates how important it was to track down the Al-Qaeda chief, CIA Director Leon Panetta said Saturday.

The effort that traced Bin Laden to the compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad also showed the CIA's "perseverance, skill and sheer courage," Panetta said in a statement.

"The material found in the compound only further confirms how important it was to go after Bin Laden," Panetta said.

"Since 9/11, this is what the American people expected of us. In this critical operation, we delivered."

The Central Intelligence Agency chief issued the statement as the US government released five videos seized in the raid, in which US Navy commandos shot and killed bin Laden.

The videos – with the audio removed – included an extraordinary one in which the Al-Qaeda chief is seen holding a remote and sitting with a blanket over him, watching images of himself on television in a spare-looking room.

The material hauled away from the residence included digital, audio and video files, printed material, computer equipment, recording devices and handwritten documents, officials said.