Afghan attack: Gunfire heard at Kabul 'CIA station'

pmaitra

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2009
Messages
33,262
Likes
19,593
Afghan attack: Gunfire heard at Kabul 'CIA station'

25 September 2011 | BBC News

Gunfire and a blast have been heard from a compound said to house the CIA station in the Afghan capital Kabul.

A US official confirmed there was an attack on the facility previously known as the Ariana hotel, describing the situation as "fluid".

The CIA has not commented, but Afghan counter-intelligence sources told the BBC at least one attacker was killed.

It comes two weeks after militants attacked the US embassy in Kabul.

They also fired rocket-propelled grenades at Nato headquarters in the city.

Some 25 people died in the 20-hour attack, which Washington blamed on the Haqqani militant group.

The US has accused Pakistan's spy agency, the ISI, of supporting the group - a claim denied by Islamabad.

Earlier this week, Burhanuddin Rabbani, the chief of Afghanistan's High Peace Council, was killed in a suicide bomb attack in the Afghan capital. The Taliban said they carried out that attack.

'Investigation ongoing'

The gunfire at the US compound was heard on Sunday evening.

It was not clear if the incident took place inside the building or just outside.

"The situation is fluid, and the investigation is ongoing," said the US official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official declined to provide further details.

Afghan intelligence sources told the BBC that their personnel in the area had heard one explosion and gunfire which lasted nearly 10 minutes.

They said that "at least one attacker was dead", without giving any further details.

One source said: "The only thing we can confirm is they (the CIA) must have invited someone inside and he turned out to be an attacker. This is the only logical assumption."

The compound is located in the most secure part of Kabul - near the US embassy and Nato military bases.

Meanwhile, a source in the nearby Afghan presidential palace told the BBC:"After the explosion was heard, an Afghan National Army (ANA) vehicle was passing. CIA-employed guards opened fire on the vehicle, thinking it had attacked them."

The sources said that two ANA soldiers, one CIA guard and one presidential guard were injured.

Source: BBC News - Afghan attack: Gunfire heard at Kabul 'CIA station'
 

Yusuf

GUARDIAN
Super Mod
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
Messages
24,324
Likes
11,757
Country flag
Situation is deteriorating day by day for the US in Astan. I am sure this too is the handiwork of Haqqani.
 

thakur_ritesh

Ambassador
Joined
Feb 19, 2009
Messages
4,435
Likes
1,733
Situation is deteriorating day by day for the US in Astan. I am sure this too is the handiwork of Haqqani.
if it is, one wonders for how long will the US keep getting blackmailed by the pakistanis?

there's got to be limit somewhere, or have they also caught up with the indian syndrome of passing on the evidence, pakistanis going through it and nothing comes out of it. very-very unlike the lone surviving super power.
 

ganesh177

Senior Member
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
1,308
Likes
1,657
Country flag
when is US entering pakland ?
lot of statements,time for some action now. let the diwali come earlier.
 

pmaitra

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2009
Messages
33,262
Likes
19,593

Yusuf

GUARDIAN
Super Mod
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
Messages
24,324
Likes
11,757
Country flag
if it is, one wonders for how long will the US keep getting blackmailed by the pakistanis?

there's got to be limit somewhere, or have they also caught up with the indian syndrome of passing on the evidence, pakistanis going through it and nothing comes out of it. very-very unlike the lone surviving super power.
Stuck between the devil and the deep sea. The US should have done better on the Iran front. It would not have got into this mess. It's nothing but the logistics of supporting their troops in Astan. Pakistan has the US by the scruff of the neck. The US has to find a way to break the shackles.
Perhaps the MMS trip could assume greater significance if he is able to broker something between the US and Iran. At least some covert help with logistics.
 

ganesh177

Senior Member
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
1,308
Likes
1,657
Country flag
Stuck between the devil and the deep sea. The US should have done better on the Iran front. It would not have got into this mess. It's nothing but the logistics of supporting their troops in Astan. Pakistan has the US by the scruff of the neck. The US has to find a way to break the shackles.
Perhaps the MMS trip could assume greater significance if he is able to broker something between the US and Iran. At least some covert help with logistics.
mms is giving lectures to west abt not breaking into anyone's sovereignty. dont think he has balls to broker that impossible deal.
 

Ray

The Chairman
Professional
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
43,132
Likes
23,834
The CIA operatives are there in Pakistan and so one would not be surprised if they undertake some 'persuasion' with the Haqqani group!

Or all the drama that is on currently is for the domestic audience of Pakistan to 'show' that the Pak Govt, the Army and the ISI mean business and that it can stand up to the US!!
 

thakur_ritesh

Ambassador
Joined
Feb 19, 2009
Messages
4,435
Likes
1,733
Stuck between the devil and the deep sea. The US should have done better on the Iran front. It would not have got into this mess. It's nothing but the logistics of supporting their troops in Astan. Pakistan has the US by the scruff of the neck. The US has to find a way to break the shackles.
Perhaps the MMS trip could assume greater significance if he is able to broker something between the US and Iran. At least some covert help with logistics.
mate logistics can be done from CAR, yes it will be expensive, but still the option remains and over the years quite a bit has been transferred through that route.

pakistan has too many soft underbellies.

how much time will it take for balochistan to come in to being. all that region requires is official US intervention, and there will be a new country born. UN is as good as a US back yard, and once you have that sindh as a new country would be a matter of another few weeks if not days.

this country is on the verge of bankruptcy. have all the lenders line up their doors, and pakistan wont have food to feed to its people in a matter of days, and you can be rest assured no one including china will step in.

stop all the remittances and financial transactions and this country will see unprecedented hyper inflation and even the hyper inflation of zimbabwe would look way better. one can be rest assured once faced with this grim future everyone will be up in arms and be killing each other.

if america is clear lets all sort out this mess for once and for all, and rest assured there will be a lot of countries who will be ready to sort this mess for ever.

its seriously US's call in the end and i doubt they are more interested in the future because they believe these people will be of use in the future and with presidential elections coming obama administration doesnt really want any such fallout that would mess his chance of being re-elected.

PS: if i am not mistaken NATO does transport some stuff of non-military grade to a'stan via iran.
 

Virendra

Ambassador
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
4,697
Likes
3,041
Country flag
I think alternate routes will be for more viable for US when it pulls out (never completely) and has lesser boots on the ground .. so there are lesser infra & supply requirements. They're articulating over 2-3 alternate routes currently. See this


Back to the real topic, hope there are no casualties yet. CIA in panic could lead to major changes in practical policies that personnel follow on the ground there.

Regards,
Virendra
 

Yusuf

GUARDIAN
Super Mod
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
Messages
24,324
Likes
11,757
Country flag
mate logistics can be done from CAR, yes it will be expensive, but still the option remains and over the years quite a bit has been transferred through that route.

pakistan has too many soft underbellies.

how much time will it take for balochistan to come in to being. all that region requires is official US intervention, and there will be a new country born. UN is as good as a US back yard, and once you have that sindh as a new country would be a matter of another few weeks if not days.

this country is on the verge of bankruptcy. have all the lenders line up their doors, and pakistan wont have food to feed to its people in a matter of days, and you can be rest assured no one including china will step in.

stop all the remittances and financial transactions and this country will see unprecedented hyper inflation and even the hyper inflation of zimbabwe would look way better. one can be rest assured once faced with this grim future everyone will be up in arms and be killing each other.

if america is clear lets all sort out this mess for once and for all, and rest assured there will be a lot of countries who will be ready to sort this mess for ever.

its seriously US's call in the end and i doubt they are more interested in the future because they believe these people will be of use in the future and with presidential elections coming obama administration doesnt really want any such fallout that would mess his chance of being re-elected.

PS: if i am not mistaken NATO does transport some stuff of non-military grade to a'stan via iran.
Well that route has been discussed, but over the years, it has been found to be not too comfortable. The costs are high. Terrain treacherous and time taken is high too. Its better to sail to the Arabian Sea than go around all those hostile areas. I really dont know what more the US is waiting for? What is going to be that one event that will make US say "thats it" and start bombing Pakistan the next day.

If the US decides that its Pakistan that has to be put in place, then it can put its Astan campaign on hold, supply what ever is required by CAR to just hold ground and then use India as the base to launch its campaign on Pakistan. What that will do is, if the policy is right, carve out Balochistan which automatically ensures a supply route to Astan.

Yes India will be in the thick of things, but left as it is, we are not going to do anything because of weak polity. Once the US starts to bomb the pakis, I am sure our own objectives will be met.
 

Poseidon

Senior Member
Joined
May 28, 2011
Messages
2,000
Likes
6,457
Country flag
ISI is getting the courage to undertake attacks because of US dilemma in talking strict action inside Pakistan.
 

Poseidon

Senior Member
Joined
May 28, 2011
Messages
2,000
Likes
6,457
Country flag
CIA office in Afghanistan attacked

US citizen and attacker killed after gunfire and blast heard at hotel used as base for office in Kabu

Reuters in Kabul
guardian.co.uk, Monday 26 September 2011 08.47 BST
Article history

A building used by insurgents for the US embassy attack
Abuilding used by insurgents for the attack on the US embassy and Nato headquarters in Kabul two weeks ago. Photograph: Pajhwok Afghan News/Demotix/Corbis

A US citizen was killed in an attack on a hotel in Kabul used as a CIA office on Sunday. The attack was carried out by an Afghan employee who was also killed.

Officials are still investigating what happened in an area with restricted access even for Afghan security forces.

The Ariana hotel is just a few blocks away from the presidential palace and the US embassy, in a heavily guarded military and diplomatic enclave almost entirely inaccessible to casual visitors.

Gunfire and a small blast were heard by Reuters witnesses a few hundred metres away late on Sunday.

Kabul police chief, Ayub Salangi, said there had been an incident at the Ariana hotel, which he described as an "office" for the US government's Central Intelligence Agency.

He had no further information. Afghan security forces have only limited access to the area.

The CIA and the US embassy in Kabul declined to comment.

But a US official, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation, confirmed an attack had been made against a US facility in Kabul.

Access to the hotel has been restricted at least since the fall of the Taliban government in late 2001. Perhaps because of its proximity to the presidential palace, it was used by ruling regimes for years before that.

Two weeks ago, militants launched an assault against the US embassy and Nato headquarters in Kabul.

Top US officials including Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, blamed those attacks on the Haqqani network, a group of Afghan militants based in Pakistan's tribal areas, and said they were supported by Pakistan's spy agency.

Pakistani officials strongly denied any ISI connection to the Haqqani network or the previous attacks on Kabul.

THE GUARDIAN.
 

debasree

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2011
Messages
819
Likes
86
Country flag
drama is unfolding now ,but us is also in the mood of leaving afganistan ,after nato pullback ,this terrorist will have a free hand and do karjai govt have enough power to repeal it,i have doubt ,more over us will not put the button of milltary action against pakistan ,as there are still pro pakistan elements in us ,both in state dept and pentagon.
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top