WASHINGTON : CIA Director William Burns has said the US is inspecting the possibility of forward-deploying China specialists in a bid to compete effectively with Beijing. Burns said the US is no longer the "only big kid" on the geopolitical block, especially with the rise of China. Speaking on the US drawdown from Afghanistan, Burns said he is troubled by the advances the Taliban movement is making in Afghanistan. The United States will retain significant capabilities in and around Afghanistan to gather information on terror groups, the CIA Director stressed. Meanwhile, on the topic of Russia, the CIA Director said the former cold war rival could be behind the "Havana syndrome" affecting the health of US diplomats in Cuba.

Source: Mint July 23, 2021 01:07 UTC