The Falling Stars: Seven CIA Killed in Afghanistan by Taliban
Dec 31st, 2009 | 15 responses
There is a wall…
The CIA memorial wall at CIA headquarters,
is located in the Old Headquarters Building.
There are 83 stars on the wall. Each represents the a death of a CIA agent in the course of duty.
Though the image of CIA might for some be slouch hats, spy vs spy,
old guys with white hair and hoary knowledge,
these are the faces of the mostly very young CIA employees.
Here, they were celebrating the installation of Leon Panetta.
The names of 48 of the 83 agents who died
are written here in the memorial book.
The names of 35 agents who died, remain secret.
Their names are only noted by year and
by a single star.
1983: The largest number of stars were placed on the wall
after a CIA station was bombed in Beruit .
Seventeen agency employees died in that attack.
2009: Details of the recent attack in Afghanistan are still coming in,
due in part to ‘fog of war, ‘ and also
due to the sensitive nature of the agency’s operation in Afghanistan.
The attack occured inside the gym at ‘Forward Operating Base Chapman’ in Khost province, eastern Afghanistan.
It is said the base had been used to house a provincial reconstruction team
providing humanitarian aid to the local Afghan population.
The Taliban bragged the attacker was a sympathiser in the Afghan army
who pretended to be a friend and detonated a vest of explosives at a meeting with CIA workers.
The above was forwarded by Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, to Reuters.
Seven starts will be added to the wall,
bringing the total number of CIA fallen to 90.
May their loved ones be comforted.
May all Unknowns lost worldwide not be forgotten.
–
15 Responses to “The Falling Stars: Seven CIA Killed in Afghanistan by Taliban”
My prayers are with their families. It doesn't seem right. Just a star to mark someones son, daughter, husband, wife, brother, sister, friend. I pray their deaths were not in vain.
The piece is written in such a way to eulogize, making it difficult to do anything but conform to the expectation. Perhaps there will be other opportunities to comment about the purpose and the politics of the CIA. For now, I conform. Lost of life is sad, may they rest in peace
These folks often do a thankless job in anonymity. Sure sometimes the CIA does some inappropriate stuff, but few of us know how much positive they do accomplish out of the public eye. I have hardly a shred of actual knowledge of a lot of this, but I do know that these folk do much much more than most Americans are aware of, for the good of us all. These are heroes who gave their lives for the rest of us,God rest their souls.
While a star might seem a bit on the light side of praise to some, I don't think there is a more fitting tribute, it represents what they stood for, and paid the ultimate price for. Anything more or less would be inadequate.
spirsol, No one is writing to your oh so delicate personal feelings. The post above is about human beings who were killed. It's not about you. Not about your 'feelings.' Again.
spirsol, No one is writing to your oh so delicate personal feelings. The post above is about human beings who were killed. It's not about you. Not about your 'feelings.' Again.
I appreciate their sacrifice. Thank you.
I appreciate their sacrifice. Thank you.
Newtothis,
You're absolutely right. A single star is not enough to mark my brother's passing, or to console my parents as they say goodbye to their beloved boy, or to comfort his little girl who will never know her daddy. But all the stars in the universe wouldn't be enough either.
Sorry there Scazzi, it is not about my feelings alone and I must say you
take a mighty narrow view. I deferred to the tone of the piece which
left no room for anything else but how the reader “felt” about the
killing of CIA members. If you “felt” the same way as the writer “felt”,
you were invited to express your similar “feelings” of condolence.
There is plenty to say about moralty, politics, war, occupation, death
of all soldiers in a war, the merit of the loss of life on all sides,
etc. etc…….I felt constrained, not because, I need to express my
feelings (which by the way is all we can do/you are doing so right now),
but because the article was written in the shape of a funnel, that
constrained one's ability to express the totality of thoughts and
feelings about the news event.
That you have “feelings” about the expression of my views is obvious,
and they are rather brittle and delicate. You'd like to snub me out,
heh? Who knows, you may succeed, who needs this level of disowned
inaccurate tripe.
a memorial to the fallen, digital or otherwise, is still not about you spirasol, despite your additional precious feelings about yourself stated again
You know I made a post that I think reflected how I felt while
maintaining decorum. It is you that is making it about me and about
you, and you are likely drawing attention to yourself. YOUR precious
feelings can't seem to be contained, again. I will not respond again
out of respect to the others, so fire away with your dripping hatred.
youre still all about yourself spirasol.
It’s good that you enshrine these that have died for us.
Lets just remember to speak respectfully of these brave people whom fight to the death for us on any given day, whether we are at war or not. They are not perfect and they are not James Bond, but they are dedicated to us and our survival. We should emphasize their honorable service and deemphasize their transgressions.
Yup.
You must put great effort into finding those responsible. A lesson must be taught, one that brings great sorrow to those responsible and their families. Take off the gloves. No more Mr nice guy.