CIA Director Reportedly Met With Taliban Leader As Evacuation Deadline Approaches

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As the United States continues its frantic effort to evacuate people from Afghanistan, a new report indicates that President Joe Biden sent the head of the CIA to Kabul for a meeting with the leader of the Taliban.

The Washington Post reports that CIA Director William Burns met on Monday with Taliban Leader Abdul Ghani Baradar. The CIA has refused to comment on the meeting, though the Post notes that this would be the Biden administration’s highest level of diplomatic engagement with the Taliban since they seized control over the country.

Details about the meeting are scarce, though it is highly probable that the talks between Burns and Baradar revolved around the August 31st deadline for the U.S. to complete its withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Biden administration is under a great deal of political pressure to push back the deadline and secure more time to get Americans and Afghan refugees out of the country. The Taliban has warned, however, that they won’t allow U.S. forces to remain in Afghanistan after the end of the month.

The meeting comes after the White House announced an evacuation of nearly 22,000 people from Kabul in the last 24 hours. This was accomplished with 12,700 people being flown out on U.S. military planes, and another 8,900 people were flown out on coalition flights.