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Taliban's Firm Stance on Bagram Airbase

On Sunday, the Taliban administration in Afghanistan firmly rejected former President Donald Trump's request for the United States to reclaim the Bagram airbase, as reported by various news outlets.

Following the US military's exit from Afghanistan in August 2021, the airbase, situated approximately 60 kilometers north of Kabul, came under Taliban control.

Trump had expressed on Saturday that the US aimed to reassert its authority over Bagram, stating that discussions were ongoing with Afghanistan regarding this issue.

However, he did not elaborate on the specifics of these discussions with the Taliban.

Trump remarked, “We want it back, and we want it back soon, right away,” during a press briefing. He added, “If they don’t do it, you’re going to find out what I’m going to do.”

In a post on social media, he warned that “bad things are going to happen” if Afghanistan fails to return the Bagram airbase to the United States, which he claims built it.

In response, the Taliban reiterated its position to Washington, emphasizing that the principles of independence and territorial integrity are paramount for Afghanistan.

Deputy Spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat called on the US to adopt a more realistic and rational approach.

The Taliban reminded that under the 2020 Doha Agreement, the US had committed to not using or threatening force against Afghanistan's territorial integrity or political independence, nor interfering in its domestic matters.

The group urged Washington to uphold its commitments as outlined in the agreement.

This deal, which concluded the two-decade-long US military involvement in Afghanistan, was negotiated during Trump's presidency.

Fasihuddin Fitrat, a senior official from the defense ministry, stated that any negotiation regarding even a small portion of Afghanistan's territory is out of the question, asserting that Kabul does not require it.

Trump had previously claimed that Bagram is “one of the biggest airbases in the world” and criticized the decision to hand it over to the Taliban without compensation.

The Bagram airfield, a Soviet-era facility, features a 3.5-kilometer runway that can accommodate large cargo and bomber aircraft.

Trump was quoted by a news source saying, “We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back. But one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.”

This statement seemingly referred to Lop Nur, a nuclear testing site located in China's Xinjiang province.

Trump's demand arises amidst ongoing instability in West Asia, following recent US and Israeli airstrikes on nuclear facilities in Iran, aimed at curbing the nation's nuclear ambitions, which Tehran claims are for peaceful purposes.