In an effort to save its peace pact with the Taliban, the Trump administration is mulling over pulling back frontline CIA personnel from Afghanistan, an American newspaper reported on Saturday.
The New York Times quoted to unnamed officials as saying the government’s move was aimed to reduce violence in Afghanistan, which could not be stabilised despite the peace agreement with the Taliban.
Senior Taliban leaders have sought cuts in the CIA presence in the country alongside US forces — a demand declined so far by American negotiators.
In the earlier years of the war, CIA agents worked in different parts of Afghanistan to advise militia groups on hunting Al-Qaeda terrorists.
However, their role later shifted to a crackdown on rebel outfits, including the Haqqani Network, the most violent group in the country.
“One move being discussed would relocate agency personnel to the embassy in Kabul, enabling some level of American advice to militia groups operating under the oversight of Afghanistan’s intelligence service,” the report said.
To shore up the peace plan, American negotiators think they have to find some way to stop the Taliban from brutalising the Afghan security forces.
Lisa Maddox, a former CIA. officer told the daily: “What is important to the US is that the Taliban and the Afghan government work to prevent a terrorist group from establishing itself again in Afghanistan …”
She argued: “It is an endless war. We are not winning it. Nobody is really winning it. We are going to have to make concessions and it is a difficult balance to strike. I don’t envy our negotiators.”