Visit to a Lost CIA Base in Afghanistan

Shkin allowed CIA to monitor al-Qaeda fighters on both sides of the Af-Pak border. Now the Taliban has it and jihadis are back.

Dec 08, 2021

∙ Paid

The turbaned Taliban gather in front of the entrance to the deserted barracks. They fish their smartphones out of their vest pockets, switch on their flashlights, and illuminate the ghostly darkness inside. There are no windows in the corridor, nor the small, neat rooms to the left and right. If it weren’t for the nice office chairs and the comfortable …

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Jeff Stein.

Or purchase a paid subscription.

A guest post by

Franz J. Marty

Franz J. Marty has been living and working as a freelance journalist in Afghanistan since December 2014. He writes on a broad range of topics, but focuses on security issues and jihadism. For more of his work, follow him on Twitter @franzjmarty.