Biden’s CIA chief ‘secretly met with top Taliban leader in Kabul’ ahead of August 31 deadline to evacuate US citizens
JOE Biden's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief secretly met with top Taliban leader in Kabul ahead of the group's August 31 deadline to evacuate all United States citizens, according to reports.
As fighters are patrolling the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan, just weeks after American and Nato forces quit the country, CIA Director William Burns reportedly met with Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
United States officials, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed the CIA director's secret Monday meeting to .
The news outlet reported that the meeting was the "highest-level face-to-face encounter" between Biden's administration and the Taliban since Afghanistan's capital Kabul was seized by militants.
Following the report, the CIA declined to respond to reports on the Taliban meeting.
One day after the meeting, President Biden allowed US soldiers to rescue stranded Americans outside Kabul airport as he feared another ".
The president compared the crisis in with the 1993 attack on a conference call with military officials last week.
didn't want the evacuation mission to turn into "Black Hawk Down" - an incident where two US choppers were shot down during the Somali Civil War, killing 18 soldiers.
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US Special Forces rescued 16 American citizens from outside airport on Monday, the reports.
They were brought back to the Afghan capital for evacuation processing.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said: "Our commanders have the authority they need to use their assets and their forces to help assist Americans who need to get to the airport on a case-by-case basis."
He said that the US military had launched at least one additional rescue by helicopter but refused to provide any further details.
The rescue mission came after the Defense Department revealed that three US Army chinooks rescued 169 Americans from outside the airport last week.
As Biden's administration decides how to move forward with the crisis in Afghanistan, the US is feeling pressure from its allies — France, Germany, and the UK — to extend the withdrawal deadline, reports.
"Not everyone will get out," the UK has warned.
"We are concerned about the deadline set by the United States on August 31," France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters. "Additional time is needed to complete ongoing operations."
Thoughts of a possible deadline expansion comes as the "there will be consequences" if NATO troops aren't withdrawn by August 31.
Taliban spokesperson Dr Suhail Shaheen said Western troops would be crossing a "red line" if they chose to stay past the deadline.
Shaheen told The Sun: "All forces should withdraw on the timeline they announced – 31 August."
He insisted people could still flee the country once commercial flights reopen.
“They can evacuate anyone through commercial flights, with visas issued by the concerned country,” Shaheen added.
But stranded Afghans warned they will be barred from getting visas because most of the western embassies have closed.
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According to , Shaheen also said that "if the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations - the answer is no. Or there would be consequences."
"It will create mistrust between us. If they are intent on continuing the occupation it will provoke a reaction," he added.
