Latest green-on-blue killer was intelligence officer

AndyFMF sends us a link from the Long War Journal which reports that the latest “insider” was a member of the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan’s intelligence service. He killed two Americans when he approached a delegation of Afghan and coalition troops who had just arrived at the base and detonated the bomb he was wearing. Four Afghans were also killed. The part I found most disconcerting was this;

Dawn also reported that the bomber had moved his wife and children to Pakistan the week before the attack.

You’d think that the employer of an intelligence officer would take note of that, wouldn’t you? Especially if he’s not Pakistani.

But the brother of one of the victims got revenge for us by killing the attacker’s 9-year-old brother. I feel better.

Coalition officials are starting to acknowledge that the Taliban are behind a larger proportion of the attacks, and ISAF has intensified its efforts against the perpetrators. Many of the attackers appear to come from the eastern Afghan provinces, a BBC reporter wrote in September, where Taliban influence is prevalent. And in early October, ISAF commanders admitted that attackers from Pakistan with links to the Taliban and its subgroup, the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network, were significantly involved in the attacks, the Associated Press reported.

Today ISAF announced that it had arrested a Taliban leader in Nangarhar province who “commanded Taliban fighters, and is directly associated with facilitating the movement and escape of an insider-attack shooter across Afghan borders.”

So, I guess, Marty Dempsey’s assessment that these attacks are the result of people blowing their noses in front of Afghans is starting to wear a little thin.

The New York Times says of the incident;

Generally the intelligence service is thought to vet its employees more thoroughly than do the Afghan Army and the police, which have far more employees.

Not exactly a confidence builder for the Afghans’ whole vetting process.

Thanks to Kevin for the NYT link.

Category: Terror War