US President Joe Biden said on Sunday that his troops could remain in Kabul after August 31. The Taliban threatened the US with dire consequences. In the midst of all this, US intelligence agency CIA Chief William Burns suddenly arrived in Kabul on Monday under a secret mission and here he met Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the leader of the Taliban. This meeting was disclosed by the American newspaper 'Washington Post'. However, the US State Department or the White House is not ready to say anything about this.
According to the report, Burns suddenly arrived in Kabul on Monday morning and met Taliban leader Baradar there. This is the first meeting of a top American diplomat with the top leader of the terrorist organization since the Taliban's capture of Kabul. US officials have confirmed the meeting on the condition of anonymity. According to officials, this is a very sensitive matter. Burns is not only America's top and senior expert on intelligence and military affairs, but he is also a seasoned diplomat.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the United States should complete its evacuation and withdraw from Afghanistan by August 31. The date was set by the Biden administration for the withdrawal of all US troops.
According to an AP report, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said his group would accept "no extension" to the deadline. He says life is returning to normal in the country but chaos at the airport remains a problem. Many Afghans are desperate to avoid the Taliban's takeover of the country
The CIA, the White House, and the State Department are silent about this. Just two days ago, in a White House press conference, the spokesperson there was asked why no American diplomat went there despite the very bad situation in Afghanistan. This question was not answered. Biden has described the mission to evacuate people from Kabul as very challenging.
According to the report, America's allies and NATO countries are pressuring that American troops stay in Kabul for a few more days after August 31 so that they can bring back their civilians and helpful Afghans. On the other hand, the Taliban is threatening that the consequences will be dire if American troops do not leave the country after August 31. It was probably only to overcome this difficulty that Burns was sent to Kabul.
Mullah Baradar and Burns are not new to each other. In fact, 11 years ago when Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI arrested Baradar in his country and handed him over to the US, Burns was also part of this mission. Baradar was imprisoned for eight years. He was released in 2018. Both Baradar and Burns were also involved in talks with the US in Qatar and Doha. Baradar also fought against Soviet forces. Burns has been a US ambassador to Russia. In April also he had gone to Kabul on a secret visit.
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