ALBAWABA - President Donald Trump of the United States has said that Washington is working to get back Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, which was once a key part of America's military presence in the area. At a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, Trump called the base strategically important because it is close to China.
He said that Bagram, which is less than 500 miles from China's border, could help keep an eye on Beijing's nuclear and missile programs and help fight terrorism. Trump said, "We gave them the base for free," and he was upset with President Joe Biden's decision to leave in 2021. "We're trying to get it back because they need things from us."
CNN sources say that Trump has been pushing national security officials for months to find a way to get back control of the facility, which is now under Taliban control. Trump hinted that he might have some power over Kabul, but he didn't say anything about negotiations or the Taliban directly.
Officials think the base could help the U.S. in many ways, such as keeping an eye on China, getting access to Afghanistan's mineral wealth, setting up a counterterrorism hub against ISIS, and reopening a diplomatic post in the country. Experts say that these goals would probably require more U.S. troops to be stationed there, which would be difficult because of Trump's 2020 agreement with the Taliban that made it possible for the U.S. to leave completely.
The Legacy of Bagram
The Soviets built Bagram, but after the 9/11 attacks, it became the center of U.S. military operations. Its two-mile runway could hold cargo planes, fighters, and helicopters. Many U.S. presidents went there, and it was the command center for two decades of war until the U.S. left for good in July 2021.
When the Americans left, they took away the same amount of equipment as 900 C-17 cargo planes and destroyed thousands of items so the Taliban couldn't use them. A 2023 review by the State Department found that leaving the base may have made the chaotic withdrawal worse, leaving Kabul's airport as the only way to get out.
Not sure what will happen next
It is still not clear if the Taliban would be open to talks about the base. The group recently said that it had talked with U.S. officials about normalizing relations, including talks about exchanging prisoners, but they didn't say anything about Bagram.
For Trump, getting control of the site back would mean a new strategy in South Asia and a reversal of one of Biden's most criticized foreign policy decisions.
