Obama hails CIA ‘patriots’ at memorial service
AFP
February 6, 2010
Editor’s note: Patriots from an outlaw organization that imports deadly drugs and has overthrown democratically elected governments around the world.
[efoods]President Barack Obama paid tribute to seven CIA officers killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan, hailing them as “patriots” at a rare memorial service at the spy agency’s headquarters.
In a break with tradition for the secretive Central Intelligence Agency, the president delivered the eulogy to an audience of about 1,000 CIA employees, relatives of the slain agents, lawmakers and officials.
“For more than 60 years, the security of our nation has demanded that the work of this agency remain largely unknown,” said Obama.
“But today, our gratitude as citizens demands that we speak of seven American patriots who loved their country and gave their lives to defend it.”
The seven agents were killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan on December 30, when a Jordanian double agent who had been brought to the US base in Khost after promising to share intelligence on Al-Qaeda blew himself up.
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