Suicide attack kills 7 CIA staff in bloody end to 2009

Published on Thursday 31 December 2009 21:42

A SUICIDE bomber disguised as an Afghan soldier killed eight American civilians inside a base used by the CIA and wounded at least six others, in an audacious attack that marked a bloody end to 2009.

• A French Tigre helicopter flies over Afghanistan yesterday – the French have hinted that they may be ready to send more troops to the country. Picture: Getty Images

At least 23 people were killed in four separate attacks in the final hours of a year that saw death tolls for the largest troop contributors more than double.

The CIA last night confirmed that seven of its employees had been killed and six others wounded in the attack. Director Leon Panetta said those killed "were far from home and close to the enemy, doing the hard work that must be done to protect our country from terrorism".

Meanwhile, France hinted for the first time yesterday that it was prepared to augment US president Barack Obama's 30,000-soldier surge with reinforcements of their own.

The suicide attack took place on Wednesday at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Afghanistan's south-eastern Khost province. Locals said they heard a massive explosion just before dusk and saw a huge plume of smoke rising from inside the heavily guarded compound.

"We heard firing, but that's normal," said shopkeeper Mir Wali, 28, who lives about 200 metres from the camp's perimeter. We thought they were practising on the range. But then we heard a really loud explosion. I though a rocket had landed on my house.

"When I came outside to see what had happened there were helicopters flying over the base, patrolling very close to the ground."

The Chapman base is also home to Khost's provincial reconstruction team (PRT) – a military-led development team. PRTs have been widely criticised for endangering civilian aid staff by blurring the line between regular development staff and the military.

"Having CIA operatives in a PRT raises serious concerns for us," a western official in Kabul said. "We are hardly going to be encouraged to set up shop in dangerous areas if the insurgents get the message that PRTs come promising development but bring CIA agents."

Meanwhile, a Canadian journalist and four Canadian soldiers were killed yesterday when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb. It was the worst loss of life for Canadian troops in two years. The reporter, Michelle Lang, 34, from the Calgary Herald, was on her first visit to Afghanistan.

The Taleban claimed responsibility for both attacks.

France's foreign ministry said two French journalists and their local guides were missing in Afghanistan. Local officials said they, their driver and a guard had been kidnapped.

&#149 The United Nations says a raid last weekend by foreign troops killed eight local students. The Afghan government says all ten people killed in a village in Kunar province were civilians. Nato says there is no evidence to substantiate the claim and has requested a joint investigation.