CIA and private security sources tell www.storiesthatmatter.org that the desperate reality of the security situation in Afghanistan is being hidden from the public. One source who trained Karzai’s security forces said that a number of assassination attempts against Karzai have never been publicly reported. Tom Clines, a veteran CIA officer and former Iran-Contra figure who enjoys a close relationship with the Karzai family, said that the security situation is “awful in most of Afghanistan and only a small multi block area around the Presidential residence is secure.” Clines added, “The fact the President has survived these attacks has been a matter of luck.” Mike Pilgrim, a veteran security consultant who worked in training Karzai’s security force concurs. “We have not done the job in Afghanistan because we do not have enough men or resources deployed,” Pilgrim said.
