Explore the Declassified Osama bin Laden Files Released by the CIA

On May 2, 2011, US forces and CIA operatives executed Operation Neptune Spear, locating and eliminating al-Qa'ida leader Osama bin Laden at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. In November 2017, the CIA declassified more than 470,000 files extracted from the devices in that refuge, and beyond exploring this immense catalog, you can download whatever you wish without restrictions.

The Digital World of the Most Wanted Man

A Wall Street Journal article describes bin Laden as “worried” and losing relevance in early 2011, with his own bodyguards planning to abandon him and a formal agreement to part ways by mid-July. Obviously, that never happened: Operation Neptune Spear ended everything in early May, and the news spread around the world in record time.

The American public took to the streets to celebrate, and analyses multiplied. More than ten years have passed since that operation, and although many aspects remain classified, the CIA confirmed the release of over 470,000 files found on devices that bin Laden and his associates had in Abbottabad. Today, the Osama bin Laden files are still online, and you can explore them.

Osama bin Laden's Files: Religion, Terrorism... and Tom & Jerry

Unsurprisingly, the agency blocked access to many files protected by copyright, elements associated with malware, and all pornographic content. Examples range from Resident Evil to Chicken Little, passing through Antz, Cars, and other animated films. This isn't surprising given that there were thirteen minors in the compound at the time of the operation.

One series that appears with great frequency among the files is Tom & Jerry. A quick search reveals 138 videos in FLV, WMV, and the classic RMVB from RealMedia. There are also episodes of The Pink Panther, a rip of the animated Street Fighter IV movie, and a copy of The Secret of Kells, nominated for an Oscar in 2009 (Up by Pixar took home the award). Discovering all that material mixed with videos of attacks, military operations, news reports, and expressions of hatred creates a very strange feeling.

And there are no access restrictions. The videos total 162 gigabytes, but we should also mention that the catalog includes images, documents, and audio samples. The agency shares the Osama bin Laden files with the objective of “improve public understanding” of al-Qa'ida and its leaders. And although their availability may change in the future (many of these files are copyright-protected), everything seems to remain there as it was on day one...

Official site: the CIA's Abbottabad archive.