CIA blunder sparked Taleban revolt that became a mass suicide

thetimes.co.uk ^ | 11/28/2001 | OLIVER AUGUST

[abner]

Surreal.

[piasa]

Originally it was a UK Guardian reporter who triggered said revolt, wasn't it?

[dighton]

Judging from this account, his name was Johnny but he was known as Mike. (A middle name?)

Oliver August's Times report is sloppy overall, as witness "AC-130 Spectre attack helicopters."

(Good catch, mad_as_he$$).

[fliberman]

After the nightmare of Kunduz, not securing a Muslim terrorist prior to an interrogation is blatantly stupid. If not cuffed, they should have been very well guarded. Sorry, it was a blunder - and so incredibly typical of the CIA. May Michael rest in peace. My heart goes out to his family.

[Hail Caesar]

This is not good. It will come back to haunt us. Nothing tangible was achieved by our involvement here that outweighs the unintended consequences we may reap for years to come. We may have just lost a lot of the moral high ground that has been the greatness of America's leadership in this so-called "War on Terrorism".

[fliberman]

I can think of 58,000 CIA "assets" who died in Viet Nam.

[cactmh]

I really like the ending..."and the Taleban killed to a man."

One US special forces soldier called the bombing “fireworks you’ll never forget”. AC130 Spectre attack helicopters flew overhead five times, hovering and firing at close range.

do they make a helicopter version?

[mercy]

wow ...... What a story! The CIA guys might as well have been babes in the woods. We sure have gotten rusty. The characters in Tom Clancy's books would never have made such a mistake. What a shame.

[D2BAH]

I have yet to see a reporter who know squat about guns, airplanes, wildlife, and a good deal more. They have a hard enough time spelling anything accurately, and the basis for their "who, what, when, where, why and how" often appears to be their own conjecture, based on whatever meager life experiences they may have had prior to becoming "a journalist" to improve the human condition and make the world a better place. (Guffaw!)

[stupid1]

This sounds like a load of WHOOWEE.

[Ciexyz]

Geraldo travels with forty armed guards, why can't our CIA people have the same contingent?

[Traction]

Remember, the British Press is controlled by British government censors so it wouldn't do to have a "Brit" be the one to start the riot. It wouldn't look good to sheeple they control. Easier to blame it on us Yanks.

[Abbalon]

Vietnam was run by the CIA.

[Howlin]

I'll go with the Time story.

[Howlin]

Michael was killed when he tried to save the journalist's backside.

That's true?

[Howlin]

I really hate that his family has to read how these ANIMALS killed him.

[Howlin]

The New York Times doesn't seem to be "with us."

[Howlin]

Originally it was a UK Guardian reporter who triggered said revolt, wasn't it?

And people wonder why I love Free Republic. :-)

[mlocher]

mistake. maybe.

i agree with your analysis. the only mistake was the poor cia officer being mike tysoned to death.

[weegee]

Lemme get this straight. Taleban who "surrendered", were "prompted" into a jailhouse riot, and the quelling of this riot becomes a "mass suicide"?