Photos: CIA withdrawal in Afghanistan
The CIA is planning to close its satellite bases in Afghanistan and pull all its personnel back to Kabul by early summer. The U.S. military says it needs the intelligence the CIA provides. Above, Army 1st Lt. Eric Cannon speaks by radio on patrol near a village south of Kabul. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)
The CIA informed U.S. military commanders in March that it would shutter its operations outside Kabul, a plan that has strained relations between the agency and the military. Above, Army Sgt. Maj. Brian Hamm, left, and 1st Lt. John Levulis patrol a mountainside south of Kabul. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)
“They are beginning their own retrograde and they kind of sprung it on the military, which is raising concern,” said a senior military official about the CIA plan. Above, Army Spec. Romik Hazarian patrols up a mountainside south of Kabul. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)
Pentagon officials warn that the CIA withdrawal is coming just as insurgent attacks are normally at their peak. Above, a child watches as Army Spec. Wilmer Bolivar digs in while providing security for a patrol through a village near Kandahar, Afghanistan. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)
The Pentagon is seeking to persuade the CIA to slow its withdrawal, to prevent a surge in insurgent attacks before the end of the year when most U.S. troops are due to leave. Above, Army Sgt. Kurtis Scheinder patrols on the edge of a village south of Kabul. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)