CIA Head Warns Afghanistan Withdrawal 'Will Diminish' US Intelligence Efforts

“Our ability to keep that threat in Afghanistan in check, from either Al-Qaeda or ISIS (ISIL or Daesh) in Afghanistan, has benefited greatly from the presence of US and coalition militaries on the ground and in the air fueled by intelligence provided by the CIA and our other intelligence partners. When the time comes for the US military to withdraw, the US government's ability to collect and act on threats will diminish. That’s simply a fact,” Burns told the Senate Intelligence Committee during Wednesday's worldwide threat hearing, The Hill reported.

“So all of that, to be honest, means that there is a significant risk once the US military and the coalition militaries withdraw,” he added.

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the US would withdraw all military personnel, some 2,500 troops, by the coming 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. 

Burns stated that while military groups “remain intent on recovering the ability to attack US targets ... after years of sustained counterterrorism pressure, the reality is that neither of them have that capacity today”.

Under the deal with the Taliban, the US withdrawal is supposed to be contingent on the insurgents meeting certain commitments, including breaking from Al-Qaeda and reducing violence in the country. But US military officials have repeatedly announced the Taliban has yet to uphold its commitments.

Burns noted “whenever that time comes” the CIA would still retain a suite of capabilities in the region to “anticipate and contest any rebuilding effort” from various terrorism groups.