CNN: CIA director visits Afghanistan to discuss expanding US intelligence presence
CIA Director Gina Haspel visited Afghanistan this week to discuss a number of issues including maintaining and possibly expanding the US intelligence presence in the country, according to sources familiar with the visit.
Haspel's visit comes as the Trump administration remains actively engaged in peace talks with the Taliban and just days after three US service members were killed by an improvised explosive device near Bagram Air Base. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Seven US service members have been killed in Afghanistan this year.
Haspel met with Afghan government officials including President Ashraf Ghani and the country's intelligence chief, Masoom Stanekzai, according to sources familiar with the visit.
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Update #1: CIA director visits Afghanistan to discuss wider US intelligence presence: report (The Hill)
Update #2: CIA Director Reportedly Meets Afghan Officials In Kabul (TOLO News)
WNU Editor: The peace talks are in trouble. The CIA Director's presence in Afghanistan is a signal to me that there are now expectations among U.S. intelligence that the talks are going to fail, and the war is going to get worse.
