Officials at the White House and the CIA declined to comment on the episode. W.H. accidentally outs CIA official

The White House accidentally identified the CIA’s top official in Afghanistan on Sunday, sending his name to reporters traveling with President Barack Obama on a short Memorial Day weekend visit to the U.S.-run Bagram Air Base outside Kabul.

The name appeared on a list of officials briefing Obama on security conditions in the South Asian country in advance of a second round of presidential elections there scheduled in about three weeks.


In accordance with standard practice, a Washington Post writer serving as a pool reporter on the trip distributed the list via email to thousands of other journalists who receive pool reports on White House-related events where coverage is limited.

( PHOTOS: President Obama's surprise visit to Afghanistan)

One official on the list was identified as “Chief of Station.” The CIA connection was not stated explicitly, but the designation is used by the top U.S. intelligence officer in a foreign country.

The Post reporter later sent out an updated list omitting two people previously on the list, including the station chief.

“Here is the correct list of those who took part in briefing the president on Bagram Air Base. Please use this list,” the Post’s Scott Wilson wrote.

( Also on POLITICO: Obama: Out of Afghanistan in 2014)

Officials at the White House and the CIA would not comment on the episode. However, the Post said officials asked the newspaper to withhold the name because of safety concerns for him and his family. POLITICO is also not identifying him.

The identity of the top CIA officer in a country is usually known to top government officials there. However, it is rarely publicly acknowledged in order to avoid targeting by terrorists and to allow the officer to take on other missions more deeply undercover.

In recent years, three different CIA station chiefs in Afghanistan’s neighbor Pakistan have been publicly named in the media after being identified in lawsuits or by other critics of U.S. drone operations there. In at least one instance, the officer was called back to the U.S. because of threats to his safety.