20 years into the US war in Afghanistan, the troops are going to leave, and the CIA is going to stay. The question right now is how that’s going to happen, and where exactly the agency is going to be basing its operations from.
There is no question that the CIA will be spying, and carrying out strikes in Afghanistan, but after decades mostly doing things out of US bases in Afghanistan, they’re going to need to find a new base, and there is no obvious choice.
Officials are describing “last-minute” efforts to find bases to operate from, which probably shouldn’t be so last-minute since the pullout has been a deal in place since at least early 2020, and could be seen coming well before that.
Pakistan is seeing consideration, as the CIA used to have a base there for their drone war. The US and Pakistan aren’t on such good terms now, however, and Pakistan reportedly wants to be able to sign off on who the CIA is attacking from their territory.
There is also a report that the CIA could try to find a host in a former Soviet republic north of Afghanistan. The upside is that those nations would be less inclined to try to manage CIA assassinations, but diplomats say they expect Russian President Vladimir Putin to oppose the idea.
CIA Director William Burns says that whatever happens, the end of US troops in Afghanistan will diminish the CIA’s ability to act there. The US clearly isn’t going to give up, wanting to maintain its ability to conduct strikes around the world, but it’s going to be complicated.
As always, read the fine print before taking a victory lap.
Just as making promises but changing his mind or failing to follow through was a Trump hallmark, Biden’s MO seems to be splashy headlines that turn out to be meaningless once you know the details.
Me, first….. O.K.!!!!! So the Taliban and Afghanistan’s 1000 years history of not putting up with invaders, especially ones who become occupiers has forced the U.S. and it’s lackey NATO welfare clients to scram out of their land. But what is unfolding certainly is not a decampment of these occupirrs back to their own lands, to allow the Afghans to be their own leaders and shapers of their own future. No, this picking up moving out by the U.S. and NATO is more like relocating their management center out to safer environs BUT to continue their domination and control by other means in another place. This plan, however is an attempt to “Drone-ize the domination they expect to enforce over Afghans for whatever nefarious policy or projects the U.S./NATO empire think’s benefit IT’S interests. Which seems to have become, anything and everything to hobble the rise of China to superstqar status on the world stage, and in financial and military affairs and statecraft. Especially the BELT & ROAD project which China sees as a way to spread Chinese influence and prostperity to the larger world. And which the U.S./NATO see as indebting and coercing lesser states on the path to Europe’s consumer market & prosperity. Just another boondoggle throwing good money into bad policy like was done in Vietnam after their ignoble route & fail. They’don’t seem able to just let go.
The MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX will NEVER, EVER let go.
If the Pakistan government “invites” US military and intelligence forces to establish bases and offices, it’s an invitation for regime change and maintenance.
I assume Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is familiar with US modus operandi.