The Battle For Camp Keating

A Chinook helicopter lands at Camp Keating, Afghanistan, in this March 2007, file photo. The pilot of an Apache gunship, who flew to the rescue of U.S. soldiers nearly overrun at the remote Afghan outpost last weekend, told ABC News today that he'd "never seen that large of a force" on the attack. (Sgt. Amber Robinson/U.S. Army)

Camp Keating That Was Attacked is Abandoned -- ABC News

Criticized 'Sitting Duck' Base That Sat Low in an Afghan Valley Is Abandoned; Too Late?

The remote U.S. outpost near the Pakistan border that was nearly overrun by insurgents last weekend has been abandoned and destroyed by American troops, military officials announced today.

Americans demolished the base, dubbed Combat Outpost Keating, just days after an all-day fight last Saturday in which eight American soldiers were killed and 24 wounded. U.S. military officials estimate that as many as 100 of the attackers were also killed in the battle, which was the bloodiest in Afghanistan in the past year.

Keating was destroyed so it could not be used by insurgents.

Read more ....

Update #1: US Forces Leave Isolated Afghan Base After Attack -- Yahoo News/AP

Update #2: U.S. troops abandon remote Afghan base where 8 were killed -- L.A. Times

My Comment: This was probably the biggest battle of the Afghan war since 2001 .... probably even bigger than the battle at Wanat last year. I know that the investigation and examination of what had happened is going to take a while, but it is clear to me that this fight has revealed the following:

1) The Taliban are organized, trained, and in possession of heavy weapons.
2) Their intelligence is excellent, they knew the weak points of the garrison and its vulnerabilities.
3) People in the region are silent when the Taliban pass through their villages and farms. Support or fearful?
4) Our intelligence did not pick-up an assembly of 300 Taliban fighters.
5) The Taliban's safe havens in Pakistan are crucial for their retreat and resupply.
6) These FOBs are terribly vulnerable. It is only a matter of time before one of them are overrun by the enemy.