The New York Times: C.I.A. Reportedly Plans to Downsize Counterterrorism Center in Wake of Afghanistan Withdrawal

The Central Intelligence Agency is planning to shrink its counterterrorism center by about a quarter, a move that would eliminate hundreds of jobs and reflect the diminishing focus on counterterrorism as the United States withdraws troops from Afghanistan, according to current and former American officials. The move, which has not been previously reported, would reduce the size of the Counterterrorism Center to about 1,000 employees from about 1,300, the officials said. It would be the first major downsizing of the center since it was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The move comes as the Biden administration winds down the war in Afghanistan, the longest war in American history. The United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to topple the Taliban, which had harbored al-Qaeda, the terrorist group that carried out the 9/11 attacks. The war has since become a quagmire, costing the United States trillions of dollars and thousands of lives. The Biden administration has said it will withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the attacks. The downsizing of the Counterterrorism Center is part of a broader shift in the C.I.A.’s priorities. The agency is increasingly focused on great-power competition with China and Russia, and it is devoting more resources to those areas. The Counterterrorism Center has been at the forefront of the C.I.A.’s efforts to combat terrorism since its creation. The center has played a key role in carrying out drone strikes against suspected terrorists, and it has helped to train and equip foreign security forces. The downsizing of the center is a sign that the United States is entering a new era in the fight against terrorism. The Biden administration has said that it will continue to combat terrorism, but it will do so in a more targeted and less costly way. The downsizing of the Counterterrorism Center is a reflection of that shift. The C.I.A. declined to comment for this article..