The materials found “clearly show that bin Laden remained an active leader in al Qaeda strategically, tactically and operationally,” and not the figurehead he was assumed to be, “making the recent operation even more essential to our nation’s security,” the official said.

He was plotting and conspiring terrorism focused on the U.S., the official said.

The DNA analysis shows unquestionably that the body of the person killed in Sunday’s raid was that of bin Laden, the senior intelligence official said. The odds of the body not being bin Laden’s stand at 1 in 11.8 quadrillion, he said.