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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Video claims secrets shared

Bomber who hit CIA outpost had worked for U.S.

This  image from undated Taliban video  purportedly  shows Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi, right, reading a statement  while sitting next to the new leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud.  (Associated Press)
Mark Magnier Los Angeles Times

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – A Pakistani television station aired a video Saturday allegedly showing the suicide bomber who hit a CIA outpost in Afghanistan telling the Pakistani Taliban leader that he had shared U.S. intelligence secrets with fellow militants.

He also urged militants to strike other U.S. targets in retaliation for the killing of the leader’s predecessor last year in a U.S. strike.

Although its veracity could not be immediately determined, the video is a powerful recruiting tool and its content potentially embarrassing to the U.S. spy agency.

The video purportedly depicts Jordanian bomber Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi, clad in military fatigues, sitting to the left of Taliban leader Hakimullah Mahsud. Both are spotlighted in a darkened room with a banner reading: “There is no god but God. Muhammad is the prophet of God.”

“This shows that they compromised U.S. intelligence and, you must concede, did a great job,” said Talat Masood, a Pakistani military analyst and retired general.

Al-Balawi blew himself up Dec. 30 inside the heavily fortified Forward Operating Base Chapman in eastern Afghanistan. The attack on the base, which is used to direct unmanned reconnaissance and missile aircraft along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, killed seven CIA employees and contractors and his Jordanian handler.

Among the casualties were the CIA base chief and an al-Qaida specialist with extensive experience tracking Osama bin Laden.

The Pakistani channel Aaj TV quoted the bomber, who identifies himself in the video by his online name, Abu Dujana al-Khorasani, as saying he “shared all secrets of Jordanian and American intelligence” with fellow militants.

“The Jordanian and the American intelligence services offered me millions of dollars to work with them and to spy on the mujahedeen,” Al-Balawi is heard saying in English. But, “I came to the mujahedeen and told them everything and we arranged together this attack.”

The Arabic-language satellite news channel Al-Jazeera also reported that al-Balawi called on militants to carry out attacks “inside the United States and outside” to avenge the death of Baitullah Mahsud. Mahsud was killed last year by a U.S. drone airstrike, leading to Hakimullah’s takeover.