In the final 48 hours of the United States' evacuation from Afghanistan last month, many vulnerable Afghans who were not able to make it through Taliban checkpoints blocking access to Kabul's airport were still able to escape the country when the CIA opened a back door about two miles away from the main airport gates. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on the gate, referred to as Glory Gate or Liberty Gate.
The entrance, which was so secretive that even the Taliban was unaware of its existence, was initially used to smuggle out the CIA's priority cases, like intelligence assets or local agents, but its role expanded as the clock wound down.
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