Suicide Bomber Was Invited Onto CIA Base, Wasn't Searched

Suicide Bomber Was Invited Onto CIA Base, Wasn't Searched
President Obama Sends a Letter to CIA Employees on Death of Operatives.
By Matthew Cole, Nick Schifrin and Kirit Radia | ABC News

The suicide bomber who killed seven CIA officers in Afghanistan was invited onto the heavily guarded base as a possible informant and, in a breach of security procedure, wasn't searched, according to three current and former CIA officers.

The bomber was escorted to the gym on the fortified complex known as Forward Operating Base Chapman for a meeting with a senior CIA debriefer, according to intelligence sources familiar with the incident.

When the bomber, who was dressed in an Afghan military uniform, arrived in the gym, he blew himself up, killing seven and seriously injuring an additional six officers who had gathered there to wait for him.

The attack targeted some of the CIA's most important assets in the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda, officers who collected intelligence and conducted paramilitary operations in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. While it's unlikely the officers spent much time in Pakistan, they almost certainly contributed to the targeting of the drone program that has targeted al Qaeda's senior leadership living in the Pakistani tribal areas. Read more.