On Tuesday, May 18, in busy rush hour traffic, a suicide bomber drove his Toyota minivan, packed with 1650 lbs. of explosives, alongside a NATO convoy in Kabul, Afghanistan and detonated. Eighteen people were killed, including five American soldiers and one Canadian. Forty-seven others were wounded.
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According to an NYPD Shield Intelligence brief, it was the deadliest attack on foreign forces operating in Kabul this year. The Taliban claimed responsibility.
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The very next day, an estimated thirty to forty Taliban fighters launched a brazen, pre-dawn assault on U.S.-run Bagram Airbase, thirty miles north of Kabul. Though sixteen Taliban insurgents (four of whom were intended to be used as suicide bombers) were killed, at the end of the spectacular attack one U.S. contractor had been left dead and nine to twelve service members were wounded.
The Taliban took credit once again and claimed that seven suicide bombers had detonated at Bagram’s gates while thirty other fighters slipped inside; a report the U.S. military flatly denies. But did the U.S. military have advance information that the suicide bombing attacks were imminent? According to sources in Afghanistan and elsewhere, the answer appears to be yes.
A team of highly-skilled, clandestine intelligence professionals charged with gathering force protection intelligence passed a series of urgent situation reports (Sitreps) to the U.S. military and Military intelligence in the days leading up to the attacks. We have attached three of these Sitreps, which are considered “must reads” in theater and are referred to as “outside-the-wire” reports. They have been thoroughly redacted and in no way pose any harm to ongoing operations or sources.
From them, you will learn the following:
The intelligence-gathering team first reported that a group of Haqqani suicide bombers had made their way into Kabul. The coordinates for the safe house they were using were communicated, as was the area they were operating in, along with the name of a local business which was providing the cell members cover.
The intelligence-gathering team next reported on the suicide bombers’ apparent targets – Kabul International Airport and/or an area known as Charikar (sic).
When further intelligence gathering revealed that Kabul International Airport was not one of the targets, but rather Bagram Airbase was, that reporting was fed into the reporting stream. The information was greeted at some point in the chain with a newfound skepticism. “The Taliban won’t attack Bagram,” was one such response. This despite the fact that the team had been providing a steady stream of exceptional intelligence, including intelligence that had led to stopping two prior suicide bombing attacks against American troops.
After Tuesday’s suicide bombing, the members of the cell responsible fled to a mosque in Kabul. The intelligence gathering team confirmed the presence of the cell members at the mosque, as well as the fact that a white Toyota Corolla (which may have been used in the next attack) was being prepped as a VBIED. They passed this intelligence along, but nothing happened. And then, less than twenty-four hours later, the attack on Bagram took place.
Nineteen people have now been killed, six of those Americans, and more than sixty people have been injured. Had these attacks come out of the blue, it would have been a horrific tragedy. The fact that cell members involved in both of these potentially preventable attacks had been identified to the U.S. Military beforehand makes this unnecessary loss of life even more tragic.
What is the point of gathering timely force protection intelligence if it isn’t going to be used to protect our forces?
With the resignation of Dennis Blair, the Director of National Intelligence, more public focus is being placed on the “rampant politicization” of intelligence. And while Director Blair may be held up as a victim of that politicization, the real victims are those who were killed and injured last week in Kabul.
I have no idea why such important, lifesaving information was not heeded. Even a modest investigation into these Sitreps would have produced results.
The Secretary of Defense should instruct his Intelligence Oversight investigators to focus on why this critical intelligence was not acted upon. I am sure the families of the dead and wounded would both agree and appreciate it. It needs to be done now, before more lives are lost. Pursuing a Star Chamber-like investigation of Michael Furlong – the man who caused this professional intelligence collection operation to be put in place – is a waste of time and resources.
This operation has succeeded in doing the one thing our billion dollar Federal intelligence community could not do: fulfill our information needs in Afghanistan.
If this doesn’t happen, I will make a very grim prediction — the horrific loss of life America saw last week is only a preview of much worse things to come.
The Sitreps follow:
Subject: SITREP #440
SITREP #440(based on a278) MOST URGENT
Cooperator:
Subject: Preliminary Report Regarding Preparations for Suicide
Bomb Attacks in Kabul Area
DOD: 14 May 2010
DOA: 15 May 2010
Cooperator Description: An experienced surveillance team directed at the Haqqani target.
1. On the evening of 14 May 2010, four Haqqani suicide bombers arrived in Kabul, via Khost and Pul-i Kandahari, Logar Province. Two of the suicide bombers are Afghans; two are foreigners. The explosive-laden vests are already in the Kabul area, either in Kabul City or at Charikar (sic). (Cooperator Comment: The targets appear to be the Kabul International Airport (KBL), aka Khwaja Rawash Airport, and/or Charikar.
2. In Kabul, the suicide team is being housed at Haqqani safe sites inside the Kabul metropolitan area. These are located at:
a. XXX XXX (alias Project XXX)
b. XXX XXX
c. Some XXX
3. (Comment: We are actively following all leads to the current location of the suicide bombers and will update as soon as we have something to offer. All of our resources in Kabul are being directed to this target. If the US military authorities will cooperate with us, we can probably prevent a disaster).
The second sitrep:
Subject: SITREP #442 Goggle Map follows
Sitrep #442 URGENT NOFORN
Cooperator:
DOD: 18/5/10
DOI: 18/5/10
QUICK UPDATE ON PURSUIT OF KABUL SUICIDE BOMBERS
REFERENCE: Sitrep #440
Our surveillance team leader claims that he has just seen a XXX with two of the suicide team at a mosque near to XXX XXX – the mosque of XXX XXX. We received this report at 06.00 GMT. Supposedly the people are still in the mosque and can be expected to spend today there. Coordinates are provided.
Details of three SB :
XXX, name unknown, is a Pashto-speaker from Shomali. One artificial leg. Short.
Companion 1 : A Pakistani Wazir, 25-30 yrs. Known as XXX – presumably is an alias. He was mainly in contact with the chap who killed XXX
Companion 2 : An Afghan, originally from Zurmat, but linked to XXX XXX. Real name XXX. Alias is. XXX Has been brought up in Pakistan and studied in Haqania, Akora Khattak.
Also, the chap who killed himself – his alias was XXX. On his false refugee card he was identified as XXX. Also XXX. About 23 yrs old. Tall. Medium length beard, light coloured hair.
COMMENTS : IF THIS REPORT CAN BE GIVEN TO PEOPLE ON THE GROUND IN TIME, IT IS WORTH THEIR WHILE CHECKING OUT THE XXX LEAD IMMEDIATELY AS IT MIGHT PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FORESTALL THE REST OF THE GROUP’S SABOTAGE PROGRAM IN KABUL
The third sitrep:
Subject: SITREP #443
Sitrep #443 (based on a281) URGENT NOFORN
Cooperator:
DOD: 18/5/10 (1545GMT)
DOA: 18/5/10SUBJECT: Update on Kabul Suicide Bombers (SB)
REFERENCES: Sitreps # 440 & 442 & its addendum
Cooperator reports we have the ability to follow and track SB cell. Cooperator reported that the SBs had moved on. Cooperator and the team will try to catch up again with the current batch of SBs and to get us a stronger identity for the mullah they report in XXX XXX.
A propos team leader’s report that the two SBs were being looked after by the XXX XXX mullah, all we know about the mullah so far is that he is a XXX Pashtun who was an uluswal in XXX in the XXX period. He XXX XXX XXX XXX.
Team leader also reported that he visited Commander XXX XXX in XXX XXX, Project AXXX yesterday and claims that he spotted a white corolla there which was in safekeeping for one of the SB missions.
A clarification on the mosque : there are two mosques in XXX XXX. One is newly-constructed and called XXX XXX XXX XXX, and the other one is an old one (XXX XXX XXX XXX). The mullah in question is in the XXX (the XXX one).
(Field Comment: Report that Bagram Airfield is a target for these
suicide bombers staging out of Paghman side of Kabul has been
relayed to Kabul orally for passage as appropriate).
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