A Secret CIA Gate at Kabul Airport Became an Escape Path for Afghans
WSJ NEWS EXCLUSIVE | MIDDLE EAST
A Secret CIA Gate at Kabul Airport Became an Escape Path for Afghans
Nicknamed Glory Gate, the back entrance was hidden from the Taliban and used to evacuate embassy staff and others
In the Talibans Afghanistan, Signs of a Return to Hard-line Islamic Rule
By Jessica Donati
https://twitter.com/jessdonati
Jessica.Donati@wsj.com
Oct. 6, 2021 2:36 pm ET
WASHINGTONWhile thousands of people crowded outside the main gates of the Kabul airport seeking to escape Afghanistan in August, the Central Intelligence Agency opened a back door about 2 miles away along the northern perimeter of the airfield.
Known by various code names, including Glory Gate and Liberty Gate, the airport entry, which hasnt been previously reported, was so secret even the Taliban were unaware it existed. It was located opposite a gas station and run by CIA operatives and Delta Force and guarded by a CIA-trained Afghan paramilitary unit known as 02, who evacuated alongside the Americans in the final flights.
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