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Afghanistan
Afghanistan suicide bombing kills 8 American civilians
2009-12-31
Washington - Eight American civilians were killed today when a lone suicide bomber struck a U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan, U.S. officials said. The attack, which took place at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khowst province, also injured an undisclosed number of civilians, the officials said. No military personnel from U.S. or North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces were killed or injured in the attack, they said.

Officials declined further immediate comment today, saying many details of the attack remained unclear and that relatives had not yet been notified. Asked by Reuters news service if the blast occurred inside the base, one official said: "That's my understanding."

Khowst province, which is located on the Pakistani border, has been a prime target of attacks from militants operating in eastern Afghanistan and just across the border in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

The base is part of NATO's Regional Command East, which is supervised by the U.S. military. It also houses Western civilians working on reconstruction projects in the war-torn nation. The main U.S. base in the province, known as Camp Salerno, has been the target of frequent attacks. Suicide bombers on a number of occasions have blown themselves up just outside its gates while trying to penetrate the heavily fortified installation. Afghan civilians usually bear the brunt of such attacks.

Just last week, Taliban militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and suicide vests entered a building near a police station in the nearby city of Gardez, setting off a battle with U.S. and Afghan security forces that lasted all morning.
Posted by:Steve White

#3  "it's hard to understand how that could happen"

And there's your problem right there.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2009-12-31 13:03  

#2  More from the New York Times

Posted by: Frozen Al   2009-12-31 12:35  

#1  
The eight dead were CIA officers, the former official said. "They were all career CIA officials."

The U.S. official said the bomber detonated his explosives vest in an area that was used as a fitness center.

CIA veterans were stunned by the news and at a loss to explain how a bomber was able to penetrate the security.

"It's a forward operating base in a dicey area, but to get a suicide bomber inside the wires -- it's hard to understand how that could happen," the former official said.


Presumably these guys were involved in work with the local population and are fluent. A big, as well as tragic, loss. Almost sounds like an inside job by a local employee. There are only 90 stars at Langley. This is a big increase. God bless them, their spouses and children.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2009-12-31 08:20  

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