Probe finds Afghan outpost left vulnerable to attack
By Joshua Partlow
Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, February 5, 2010; 9:35 AM
KABUL -- Delays in closing a remote U.S. military outpost in eastern Afghanistan increased the vulnerability of the base, where eight American soldiers were killed during a prolonged siege by 300 insurgents last October, according to a summary of a military investigation released Friday.
The attack on Combat Outpost Keating in the Kamdesh district of Nurestan province was one of the worst insurgent attacks against American troops in Afghanistan. It came to symbolize the dangers of posting small groups of soldiers in sparsely populated areas of the country, something commanders have moved away from under a new strategy to protect more populous areas.
The investigation into the attack, led by Maj. Gen. Guy C. Swan III, drew on interviews from about 140 people either at the outpost or who had information about the attack. The inquiry found that the roughly 60 soldiers stationed there fought courageously, killing about 150 insurgents as they defended their base.
But the report also said those soldiers were stationed in a place of "no tactical or strategic value" and said critical intelligence and surveillance capabilities that could have helped them prevent such an onslaught had been diverted to other missions.
With limited manpower and located in a ravine surrounded by steep hillsides, the mission for Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry had devolved into protecting their base, Swan concluded. During their five months at the outpost they were attacked about 47 times, three times as often as the unit that came before them, the report found.
"As a result, the chain of command decided to close the remote outpost as soon as it could," the report said.
But a scheduled closure between July and August 2009 was delayed because the equipment needed to haul away base supplies, and to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence, was sent to another operation in Barg-e-Matal and to search for a missing soldier in southern Afghanistan, the report said.
"The delayed closing of COP Keating is important as it contributed to a mindset of imminent closure that served to impede improvements in force protection on the COP," the report said. "There were inadequate measures taken by the chain of command, resulting in an attractive target for enemy fighters."
The report said commanders should have done more to improve the base's defenses and to analyze intelligence reports that the enemy was planning a major assault. It recommended that the squadron commander overseeing the outpost receive a letter of reprimand. Military officials said the brigade commander was given a letter of admonishment, a less severe punishment.
The letters are part of a new push by top military brass to hold commanders accountable for major incidents in which troops are killed or wounded.
The attack on Oct. 3 began at 5:58 a.m. with a deluge of insurgent gunfire and mortars from all sides and a simultaneous attack on another nearby American outpost that limited the U.S. soldier's ability to fire mortars in return. Afghan soldiers helping to guard the outpost couldn't hold their positions and insurgents entered the base in three locations, the report said. U.S. soldiers eventually regained the momentum with the help of fighter jets and Apache helicopters. In addition to the eight soldiers killed, 22 were wounded.
"Members of B Troop upheld the highest standards of warrior ethics and professionalism and distinguished themselves with conspicuous gallantry, courage, and bravery under the heavy enemy fire that surrounded them," said a statement from the U.S. military that accompanied the summary report.
After the U.S. soldiers had regained control of their outpost, they began withdrawing from Combat Outpost Keating. By Oct. 6, three days after the attack, they destroyed what was left of the base to prevent insurgents from taking it over.
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