CIA Director Secretly Met With Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director William Burns held a confidential meeting in Kabul on Monday with Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
According to the details, it is the highest-level face-to-face encounter between the Taliban and Biden administration since they took control of the Afghan capital. United States (US) President Joe Biden’s decision to send Burns, often portrayed as his most experienced diplomat, to Afghanistan illustrates the severity of the crisis for his administration.
Citing US officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity, The Washington Post said CIA Director William Burns met Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul on Monday. The meeting was organized in secret and has not transpired until this Tuesday, when sources cited by various media, including The Washington Post, have reported it.
Boris Johnson to press Biden to delay Kabul withdrawal
Taliban Will Not Extend Evacuation Deadline from Afghanistan
The CIA has not offered an official version, claiming that it never talks about its director’s trips or meetings.
The US president, Joe Biden, has received requests from several allies not to conclude the withdrawal of troops on time, in an attempt to buy time to complete the evacuations before completely yielding the control of Kabul to the Taliban. The newspaper said that according to US officials, the issue of possible withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan on August 31 was discussed during the meeting.
The Washington Post did not reveal the content of the talks, but it is likely that they revolved around the delay of evacuations from the airport in the Afghan capital, where thousands of people wait to get on a plane to leave the country. Other European countries, including Britain, have urged US President Joe Biden to consider extending the August 31 withdrawal date.
Risen from the ashes, a war without a cause
Post-Taliban, Afghanistan – A Short Note
The Taliban have said that they will not extend the August 31, 2021 deadline for NATO forces to leave Afghanistan, moreover, any extension to the deadline for withdrawal would cross a red line that will lead to “consequences”. Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said that the militant organisation will not allow US to extend their deadline for ending their mission in Afghanistan.
Taliban spokesperson Dr. Suhail Shaheen said the withdrawal date is “a red line … If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations – the answer is no. Or there would be consequences.”
Stay tuned to Baaghi TV for latest news and updates!
India Closes Down Afghan Consulates as Taliban Gain Power
PIA Suspends Kabul Flight Operations For Indefinite Period
