The cover of the CIA's top officer in Kabul was accidentally blown after the White House released his name to journalists accompanying President Obama's surprise trip to Afghanistan.

Per the Washington Post:

The White House recognized the mistake and quickly issued a revised list that did not include the individual, who had been identified on the initial release as the "Chief of Station" in Kabul, a designation used by the CIA for its highest-ranking spy in a country.

The officer's name was included in a list of officials participating in a briefing to White House press, where it was then forwarded on to even more people:

The list was circulated by e-mail to reporters who traveled to Afghanistan with Obama, and disseminated further when it was included in a "pool report," or summary of the event meant to be shared with other news organizations, including foreign media, not taking part in the trip.

In this case, the pool report was filed by Washington Post White House bureau chief Scott Wilson. Wilson said he had copied the list from the e-mail provided by White House press officials. He sent his pool report to the press officials, who then distributed it to a list of more than 6,000 recipients.

The error was later corrected, but not before the gaffe made its way to Twitter (without the station chief's name). It's still unclear whether the officer will be forced to leave Afghanistan with his cover compromised.

[Image via AP]