Former CIA operative from Minnesota fears for future of Afghanistan

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Mike Hurley was among the first waves of CIA operatives and special forces on the ground in Afghanistan after 9/11. The work he and others started in 2001 grew to a major U.S. involvement in Afghanistan that started as a hunt for Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaida terrorists.

"I hope I’m wrong about this, but I just fear it’s going to be a real rough ride in the months ahead," Hurley told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS in a recent interview.

Before it was a full-fledged war in Afghanistan, Hurley was part of an effort to gather intelligence to find al-Qaida terrorists protected by the Taliban.

"I think our first team hit the ground within two weeks after the 9/11 attack, which was quite amazing," he said. "I think it shows the agility of the CIA. I was in one of the elite teams that came in soon after that in late fall of 2001. We were out on what we call in our business, the intelligence business, the pointed end of the spear. We didn’t have a lot of people there backing us up."

Now he worries about all the Afghan people who helped the U.S. back then and much more recently.

"I’m deeply worried about all the Afghans, friendly Afghans who have helped us," Hurley says. "They took risks on our behalf. Everybody there knows who was helping the United States so it’s just not going to be safe for them."

As for what the future holds for an Afghanistan under Taliban rule, including the rights of women and treatment of those who helped the U.S., Hurley fears the worst.

"There’s nothing in my experience to suggest the Taliban would keep its word in any kind of peace negotiations. They’re going to take over that country as quickly as they can."