Hundreds of U.S. citizens, Afghan commandos successfully evacuated through secret CIA base
The clandestine operation resulted in the successful evacuation of hundreds of American citizens and vulnerable Afghans.
09/01/2021
As the Biden administration scrambled to conduct a massive evacuation effort from Afghanistan, American officials quietly instructed U.S. citizens and at-risk Afghans, including Afghan commandos, to head to a secret CIA base outside Kabul to secure safe passage to the U.S. amid increased risks of a terrorist attack on the capital city’s main airport.
The clandestine operation, which took place over several weeks in August, resulted in the successful evacuation of hundreds of American citizens and vulnerable Afghans, including members of the elite Afghan special forces and their family members. At least 1,000 Afghan commandos and their family members were evacuated in the overall U.S. effort.
Eagle Base, the sprawling CIA compound located less than three miles north of the airport, has a controversial history. Established early in the Afghanistan conflict at a former brick factory, the base was used by the CIA from 2002 to 2004 for “
enhanced interrogation” of terror suspects. The CIA also used it to train Afghan counterterrorism units.
The New York Times first reported that the U.S used the base for evacuations. The full scope of the operation in the final days of the evacuation effort, however, has not been previously reported. A CIA spokesperson declined to comment on the operation.
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