The United States should have an official presence in Afghanistan and engage with Taliban leadership, a former CIA official said on Tuesday.

In a panel discussing US policy on Afghanistan, hosted by the Washington-based think tank, the Middle East Institute, Douglas London said the US needs to be in conversation with the Taliban leadership on issues like counterterrorism and fighting the Islamic State (IS) group.

"As an intelligence professional or former intelligence professional, I would like to see the United States have an official presence on the ground, not just in Kabul, but particularly in Kandahar, where leadership decisions are being made," London said during the MEI panel discussion.

"Washington speaks at the White House [about] over-the-horizon. Over-the-horizon gets you something, it's largely remote in terms of intelligence. But it's not the same as having a presence on the ground, an official presence on the ground."

Over-the-horizon capabilities refer to the use of drone strikes and aerial surveillance, and have been touted by the Biden administration as a key pillar of US counterintelligence since the US's withdrawal from Afghanistan.