Trapwire Stratfor Email 25

Re: [alpha] (more) TrapWire on Kabul Hotel Attack

Released on 2012-08-09 18:00 GMT
Email-ID 	83256
Date 	2011-06-29 17:37:58
From 	sean.noonan@stratfor.com
To 	alpha@stratfor.com
List-Name 	alpha@stratfor.com
Just FYI, an AFP report citing witnesses said they came in civilian
clothing--

Witness Sayed Hussain said he was inside the hotel compound when it
started.

"I saw five to six men in civilian clothing armed with rifles who started
shooting when they entered," he said, speaking close to the scene. "I lay
down on the ground and soon after the police arrived."

He added that police and the attackers then exchanged fire for about 10 to
15 minutes before he heard a loud explosion.

Another man, who did not want to give his name, said he had been at the
hotel intending to have dinner with friends when he heard gunshots and lay
down in a muddy ditch to hide.

An Afghan guard was then shot nearby and fell on top of him, he said.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ilEuzK3PcB08rAsvjJYKKfM9PI7Q?docId=CNG.6e145485d1197582aa5fe96d397320c0.791

On 6/29/11 9:27 AM, Fred Burton wrote:

Nothing to confirm or refute this initial claim. But new reporting
suggests attackers arrived dressed as Afghan police. This is standard MO
for Taliban...and many terror groups as you know. Only thing that
everyone agrees on right now is that this thing was meticulously
planned, and clearly well surveilled ahead of time. This hotel has
multiple layers of defense -- including armed guards -- and still the
bad guys got in. We don't have a single hotel in this country with even
10% of the security the Intercontinental had. When they decide to start
targeting hotels here, it'll shooting fish in a barrel.





Stormed in force out of a vehicle after one perp detonated a vest at the
gate (Mike, think this remains accurate?)

--

Sean Noonan

Tactical Analyst

Office: +1 512-279-9479

Mobile: +1 512-758-5967

Strategic Forecasting, Inc.

www.stratfor.com