CIA director met Taliban leader in Afghanistan on Monday, Washington Post reports

[August 24, 2021]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden dispatched the nation's top spy to meet the head of the Taliban on Monday, in the highest level diplomatic encounter since the militant group took over Afghanistan's capital, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

CIA Director William Burns speaks during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 15, 2021. Al Drago/Pool via REUTERS

The Post, citing unnamed U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said CIA Director William Burns met Taliban Leader Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul on Monday as the Biden administration continues efforts to evacuate U.S. citizens and other allies amid chaos at the airport in Kabul.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Representatives for the Central Intelligence Agency and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

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