Taliban produce video of capture of US base

Bill Gertz:

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Taliban insurgents recently posted on the Internet a propaganda video showing their version of a deadly attack on the U.S. military outpost near Kamdesh and the aftermath, according to a U.S. intelligence report.

The Open Source Center, part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, produced the report on the video, which was based on the Oct. 3 battle in a remote area of eastern Afghanistan that resulted in the deaths of eight U.S. soldiers. The deaths came despite advanced intelligence reports warning of an impending attack. It was the largest single number of U.S. casualties in Afghanistan since a similar attack in the same region last year.

The report, "Taliban Propaganda Video Capitalizes on 'Capture' of U.S. Base," states that the Taliban video was put on an insurgent Web site Nov. 18 and "showcases what it describes as the 'capture' of a U.S. military base in the Kamdesh district of Nuristan Province."

The video calls the attack a "message of success" and shows scenes of what appear to be the beginning of the raid by an estimated 200 insurgents, and the weapons and ammunition the Taliban claimed they captured. The video shows a battle with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades launched on the U.S. forces from hills surrounding the base.

At one point, the video shows a bearded Taliban leader trying out an exercise machine used by the Army troops before their departure. In another scene, an insurgent fires a captured U.S. Army M4 carbine.

Intelligence reports obtained by The Washington Times reveal that U.S. forces had warning days before the attack that Taliban insurgents were planning to strike the outpost.

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There is much more.

When the US abandoned the base, it should have had planes dropping bombs on it to destroy any booty the Taliban tried to claim and hopefully kill Taliban soldiers who were searching for it. Gertz also discusses some of the intelligence warning of the attack. Although it was not specific as to time, it seems clear enough to have given the US time to prepare for the attack or to leave the base before the battle.