Oops! White House Blows CIA Chief’s Cover In Afghanistan

President Barack Obama, center, is briefed by Marine General Joseph Dunford, commander of the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), right, and US Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham after arri... President Barack Obama, center, is briefed by Marine General Joseph Dunford, commander of the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), right, and US Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham after arriving at Bagram Air Field for an unannounced visit, on Sunday, May 25, 2014, north of Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) MORE LESS
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“Oops!” is an understatement — the White House exposed the name of the CIA’s top spy in Afghanistan on Saturday during President Barack Obama’s surprise visit with U.S. troops.

The Washington Post reported that a CIA officer’s name was included on a list distributed to news organizations of U.S. officials participating in a military briefing for Obama at Bagram air base. The list identified the officer as “Chief of Station” in Kabul, a title the CIA gives to its highest-ranking spy in a given country.

The Post withheld the name of the officer at the request of administration officials who warned that publishing the officer’s name could put him and his family at risk.

The officer’s name was circulated in a pool report to press officials who distributed it to a list of more than 6,000 people, however. The pool reporter, Washington Post White house Bureau chief Scott Wilson, later noticed the unusual “chief of station” reference and brought it to the attention of White House press officials in Afghanistan. Press officials and senior White House officials responded differently, according to the Post:

Initially, the press office raised no objection, apparently because military officials had provided the list to distribute to news organizations. But senior White House officials realized the mistake and scrambled to issue an updated list without the CIA officer’s name.

It’s unclear whether the CIA will pull the officer from Afghanistan as a result of the disclosure.

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Notable Replies

  1. This is inexcuseable.

  2. Avatar for darcy darcy says:

    Makes my day. One war criminal exposing another war criminal.

  3. Bush didn’t do anything…this time.

  4. More inaccurate headlining in the name of click bait. In the body of your article, you say that *military officials" provided the list, but in your headline you say “White House blows CIA Chief’s Cover”.

    Are you guys really just done with the idea of accurate journalism on this web site?

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