On November 30, 2006, Indian police filed charges against 28 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Students Islamic Movement of India. Thirteen were in custody. They could face the death penalty.
The case remains under investigation.
September 20, 2008
Islamabad Marriott Hotel Bombing
Overview: Islamabad is Pakistan’s Washington, D.C., and this distinguished Marriott Hotel is conveniently located near government buildings and embassies. The nighttime explosion caused a natural gas line to burst into flames and engulf most of the building. It left a 6 feet wide and 20 feet deep crater near the hotel. Amazingly, the hotel was rebuilt and reopened by the end of the year. Although several theories about individual and group perpetrators were investigated, no consensus or proof was established.
Incident: On September 20, 2008, a suicide dump truck bomb carrying a ton of explosives went off at Islamabad’s Marriott Hotel, killing at least 60 and injuring 266. Some observers said the death toll could reach 100. At least 21 foreigners, including the Czech Republic’s ambassador, were among the casualties. Several guards who had examined the truck were killed. Two Department of Defense employees were dead, a contractor was missing, and three State Department officers were hurt. Pakistani authorities said the attackers had targeted the official residence of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, a block away from the hotel. Authorities blamed terrorists from South Waziristan, saying Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the Tehrik-e-Taliban, was the chief suspect. By October 24, 2008, police had arrested four men in Punjab who were suspected of “indirect involvement” in the bombing. The government blamed Lashkar-i-Jhangvi for assisting the attackers. The detainees were acquitted for lack of evidence.
On January 1, 2009, the BBC reported that an air strike killed al Qaeda’s Pakistan operations chief Usama al-Kini, whom U.S. officials said was behind the hotel bombing and the 1998 embassy attacks in Kenya and Tanzania.
December 30, 2009
Afghanistan Bombing of CIA Khost Base
Overview: An individual claiming to have intelligence on al Qaeda’s leadership was brought onto the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) base in Khost Province, Afghanistan, by his Jordanian handler. The individual instead blew himself up while trying to take as many Americans with him as he could. Some used this incident to question U.S. security and the wisdom of training Afghan forces in preparation for U.S. troop withdrawal. Some questioned whether this was an act of terrorism or an act of war. CIA director Leon E. Panetta recentered the discourse when he said, “Their devotion to duty is the foundation of our country. . . . Our resolve is unbroken, our energy undiminished and our dedication to each other and to our nation unshakable.”
Incident: On December 30, 2009, Jordanian Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, a Taliban terrorist posing as an agent willing to provide details to the CIA and Jordanian intelligence regarding the al Qaeda leadership, set off an explosives belt under his clothes, killing seven CIA officers and a Jordanian and wounding eight people, including six Americans, at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost Province. The murdered Americans were identified as Khost base chief Jennifer Lynne Matthews, 45, of Fredericksburg; Daren James LaBonte, 35, of Alexandria; Scott Michael Roberson, 39; Harold E. Brown Jr., 37; Elizabeth Hanson, 30; and security contractors Jeremy Jason Wise, 35, and Dane Clark Paresi, 46. The Jordanian was identified as Sharif Ali bin Zeid, a captain in the Jordanian Dairat al-Mukhabarat al-Ammah (General Intelligence Department), who was running the supposed agent. Arghawan, the Afghan external security chief, was also killed. Al Qaeda later took credit for the attack. On January 7, 2010, Mustafa Abu Yazid, al Qaeda’s commander of operations in Afghanistan and its No. 3 leader, took credit for the attack as revenge for the deaths of Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, and al Qaeda operatives Saleh al-Somali and Abdullah al-Libi.
The White House website on December 31, 2009, carried President Barack Obama’s message to the CIA workforce, in which he said:
I write to mark a sad occasion in the history of the CIA and our country. Yesterday, seven Americans in Afghanistan gave their lives in service to their country. Michelle and I have their families, friends, and colleagues in our thoughts and prayers. These brave Americans were part of a long line of patriots who have made great sacrifices for their fellow citizens, and for our way of life. The United States would not be able to maintain the freedom and security that we cherish without decades of service from the dedicated men and women of the CIA. You have helped us understand the world as it is, and taken great risks to protect our country. You have served in the shadows, and your sacrifices have sometimes been unknown to your fellow citizens, your friends, and even your families. In recent years, the CIA has been tested as never before. Since our country was attacked on September 11, 2001, you have served on the front lines in directly confronting the dangers of the 21st century. Because of your service, plots have been disrupted, American lives have been saved, and our Allies and partners have been more secure. Your triumphs and even your names may be unknown to your fellow Americans, but your service is deeply appreciated. Indeed, I know firsthand the excellent quality of your work because I rely on it every day. The men and women who gave their lives in Afghanistan did their duty with courage, honor and excellence, and we must draw strength from the example of their sacrifice. They will take their place on the Memorial Wall at Langley alongside so many other heroes who gave their lives on behalf of their country. And they will live on in the hearts of those who loved them, and in the freedom that they gave their lives to defend. May God bless the memory of those we lost, and may God bless the United States of America.
CIA.gov posted CIA director Panetta’s statement that:
those who fell yesterday were far from home and close to the enemy, doing the hard work that must be done to protect our country from terrorism. We owe them our deepest gratitude, and we pledge to them and their families that we will never cease fighting for the cause to which they dedicated their lives—a safer America. Families have been our Agency’s first priority. Before sharing this information with anyone else, we wanted to be in contact with each of them. This is the most difficult news to bear under any circumstances, but that it comes during the holidays makes it even harder. In coming days and weeks, we will comfort their loved ones as a family. They are in our thoughts and prayers—now and always. . . . Yesterday’s tragedy reminds us that the men and women of the CIA put their lives at risk every day to protect this nation. Throughout our history, the reality is that those who make a real difference often face real danger.
The website also said that “Director Panetta credited U.S. military doctors and nurses with saving the lives of those wounded in the attack. In honor and memory of the dead, he requested that the flags at CIA Headquarters be flown at half-staff.”
On January 2, 2010, the bomber’s video-will appeared on the Internet. He said:
The Jordanian and the American intelligence services offered me millions of dollars to work with them and to spy on mujahideen [holy warriors] here, but hamd’allah [thanks be to God] I came to the mujahideen and I told them everything. We arranged together this attack. What we strive for cannot be exchanged for all the wealth in the world. This attack will be the first of the revenge operations against the Americans. . . . We say that we will never forget the blood of our Emir Beitullah Mehsud, God’s mercy on him. To retaliate for his death in the United States and outside the United States will remain an obligation on all emigrants who were harbored by Beitullah Mehsud. . . . God’s combatant never exposes his religion to blackmail and never renounces it, even if he is offered the sun in one hand and the moon in the other.
He had posted on September 2009 on an al Qaeda website, “If [a Muslim] dies in the cause of Allah, he will grant his words glory that will be permanent marks on the path to guide to jihad, with permission from Allah. If love of jihad enters a man’s heart, it will not leave him even if he wants to do so. What he sees of luxurious palaces will re
mind him of positions of the martyrs in the higher heaven.”
In a memorial ceremony at CIA Headquarters, President Obama called the dead “American patriots who loved their country and gave their lives to defend it. . . . There are no words that can ease the ache in your hearts. But to their colleagues and all who served with them—those here today, those still recovering, those watching around the world, I say: Let their sacrifice be a summons. To carry on their work. To complete this mission. To win this war and to keep our country safe.” The director of the CIA, Panetta, added, “They are the heart and soul of this great country. Their devotion to duty is the foundation of our country. . . . We will carry this fight to the enemy. . . . Our resolve is unbroken, our energy undiminished and our dedication to each other and to our nation unshakable.” The White House issued the following press release:
February 5, 2010
President Obama and CIA Director Panetta Speak at CIA Memorial Service
The Central Intelligence Agency today held a memorial service at its headquarters for the seven Americans killed in eastern Afghanistan on December 30th. Family members and more than a thousand Agency officers gathered in attendance, along with guests including President Obama and senior officials from the Intelligence Community, the White House, and the Pentagon, as well as members of Congress.
President Obama spoke of the country’s gratitude to the families. “Everything you instilled in them—the virtues of service and decency and duty—were on display that December day. That is what you gave them. That is what you gave to America. And our nation will be forever in your debt.” He told CIA officers that their “seven heroes” were at the vanguard of a mission vital to national security. “Let their sacrifice be a summons. To carry on their work. To complete this mission. To win this war, and to keep our country safe.”
CIA director Panetta paid tribute to the talent and accomplishments of the fallen, telling their loved ones that CIA officers “simply cannot do these jobs-we can’t do these jobs-without the love and support of our families.” He called the seven “genuine patriots” who “lived up to our highest principles,” and pledged that CIA would strive to be worthy of them. Panetta added, “As they worked to protect lives, they sacrificed their own. For this, we honor them-now and always. . . . We will carry this fight to the enemy. Our resolve is unbroken, our energy undiminished, and our dedication to each other and to our nation, unshakable.”
President Obama gave the following remarks at the memorial for the CIA officers at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia:
America’s intelligence agencies are a community, and the CIA is a family. That is how we gather here today. I speak as a grateful Commander-in-Chief who relies on you. There are members of Congress here who support you. Leaders—Leon Panetta, Steve Kappes—who guide you. And most of all, family, friends and colleagues who love you and grieve with you.
For more than sixty years, the security of our nation has demanded that the work of this agency remain largely unknown. But today, our gratitude as citizens demands that we speak of seven American patriots who loved their country and gave their lives to defend it: [Names redacted.]
They came from different corners of our country—men and women—and each walked their own path to that rugged base in the mountains. Some had come to this work after a lifetime of protecting others—in law enforcement, in the military; one was just a few years out of college.
Some had devoted years, decades, even, to unraveling the dark web of terrorists that threatened us; others, like so many of you, joined these ranks when 9/11 called a new generation to service. Some had spent years on dangerous tours around the globe; others had just arrived in harm’s way.
But there, at the remote outpost, they were bound by a common spirit. They heard their country’s call and answered it. They served in the shadows and took pride in it. They were doing their job and they loved it. They saw the danger and accepted it. They knew that the price of freedom is high and, in an awful instant, they paid that price.
There are no words that can ease the ache in your hearts. But to their colleagues and all who served with them—those here today, those still recovering, those watching around the world—I say: Let their sacrifice be a summons. To carry on their work. To complete this mission. To win this war, and to keep our country safe.
To their parents—it is against the natural order of life for parents to lay their children to rest. Yet these weeks of solemn tribute have revealed for all to see—that you raised remarkable sons and daughters. Everything you instilled in them—the virtues of service and decency and duty—were on display that December day. That is what you gave them. That is what you gave to America. And our nation will be forever in your debt.
To the spouses—your husbands and wives raised their hand and took an oath to protect and defend the country that they loved. They fulfilled that oath with their life. But they also took your hand and made a vow to you. And that bond of love endures, from this world to the next. Amidst grief that is sometimes unbearable, may you find some comfort in our vow to you—that this agency, and this country, will stand with you and support you always.
And to the beautiful children—I know that this must be so hard and confusing, but please always remember this. It wasn’t always easy for your mom or dad to leave home. But they went to another country to defend our country. And they gave their lives to protect yours. And as you grow, the best way to keep their memory alive and the highest tribute you can pay to them is to live as they lived, with honor and dignity and integrity.
They served in secrecy, but today every American can see their legacy. For the record of their service—and of this generation of intelligence professionals—is written all around us. It’s written in the extremists who no longer threaten our country—because you eliminated them. It’s written in the attacks that never occurred—because you thwarted them. And it’s written in the Americans, across this country and around the world, who are alive today—because you saved them.
And should anyone here ever wonder whether your fellow citizens truly appreciate that service, you need only remember the extraordinary tributes of recent weeks: the thousands of Americans who have sat down at their computers and posted messages to seven heroes they never knew; in the outpouring of generosity to the memorial foundation that will help support these proud families.
And along a funeral procession in Massachusetts, in the freezing cold, mile after mile, friends and total strangers paying their respects, small children holding signs saying, “Thank You.” And a woman holding up a large American flag because, she said simply, “He died for me and my family.”
As a nation, we pledge to be there for you and your families. We need you more than ever. In an ever-changing world where new dangers emerge suddenly, we need you to be one step ahead of nimble adversaries. In this information age, we need you to sift through vast universes of data to find intelligence that can be acted upon swiftly. And in an era of technology and unmanned systems, we still need men and women like these seven— professionals of skill and talent and courage who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation.
Because of them, because of you, a child born in America today is welcomed into a country that is proud and confident, strong and hopeful—just as Molly Roberson welcomed her daughter Piper this week, both of whom join us today. Piper will never know her dad, Scott. But thanks to Molly, she will know what her father stood for—a man who served his country, who did his duty, and who gave his life to keep her safe.
And on some distant day, years from now, when she is grown, if Piper— or any of these children—seeks to understand for themselves, they’ll need only come here—to Langley, through these doors, and stand before that proud Memorial Wall that honors the fallen.
And perhaps they’ll run their fingers over the stars that recall their parent’s service. Perhaps they’ll walk over to that Book of Honor, turn the pages, and see their parent’s names. And at that moment of
quiet reflection, they will see what we all know today—that our nation is blessed to have men and women such as these. That we are humbled by their service, that we give thanks for every day that you keep us safe.
May God bless these seven patriots, may he watch over their families. And may God bless the United States of America.
On March 8, 2010, an air strike in Miram Shah, North Waziristan, Pakistan killed a dozen people, including Hussein al-Yemeni, a senior al Qaeda bomb expert and trainer believed to have been behind the Khost attack.
On August 20, 2010, federal authorities charged Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud with the Khost attack. The charges, unsealed on September 1, 2010, included conspiracy to murder a U.S. national while outside the United States and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction against a U.S. national while outside the United States.
On October 19, 2010, CIA’s Office of Public Affairs released the director of CIA Panetta’s statement on the Khost attack to employees, entitled Lessons from Khost:
Last December, our Agency family lost seven courageous and talented colleagues in a terrorist attack at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost, Afghanistan. These dedicated men and women were assigned to CIA’s top priority—disrupting and dismantling al-Qa’ida and its militant allies. That work carries, by its very nature, significant risk. CIA is conducting the most aggressive counterterrorism operations in our history, a mission we are pursuing with a level of determination worthy of our fallen heroes. We will sustain that momentum and, whenever possible, intensify our pursuit. We will continue to fight for a safer America.
The 50 Worst Terrorist Attacks Page 34
