Donald Trump intensifies pitch for control over Bagram Airfield
Donald Trump Saturday warned the Taliban government to handover the control of Bagram Airfield to the United States or face consequences
Washington/Kabul: Donald Trump Saturday warned the Taliban government to handover the control of Bagram Airfield to the United States or face consequences.
This is the second time in a week Trump has asked the Taliban government in Afghanistan to handover the control of Bagram air base.
“We're trying to get it back,” Trump said of Bagram Airfield during a news conference Thursday he shared with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Trump said this while he was on a whirlwind official tour of the United Kingdom.
Trump criticized the Biden administration's fraught withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan as a "total disaster", and the decision to relinquish Bagram Airfield, after the U.S. Pullout from Afghanistan in August 2021.
“We gave it to them for nothing... We want that base back,” he said.
Bagram Airfield, located some 11 kms from Afghan Capital Kabul is of strategic importance. Taliban had mocked the Trump demand and dismissed the idea of Bagram returning to the US.
“Afghanistan and the U.S. need to interact with each other and can have economic and political relations based on mutual respect and common interests,” Zakir Jalaly, an official at the Afghan Foreign Ministry, wrote on X.
“The Afghans have not accepted a military presence in history, and this possibility was completely rejected during the Doha talks and agreement, but the door is open for further interaction”, he added.
“Bad things…”
Ignoring Taliban’s dismissal of his uncalled for demand, Trump on Saturday again made the same demand, this time issuing a warning.
“If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In a swift response to Trump, Taliban said they are ready to fight for another 20 years.
“It is not possible to negotiate over even one inch of Afghanistan’s soil”, Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of Staff of the Afghan Ministry of Defense, said.
Meanwhile, political analysts are reminding that the Bagram Air Base was originally built by Russia, and not the USA as claimed by Trump.
Trump's Bagram Air Base takeover plan also received response from China as he said Washington needs the base due to its close proximity to some of China’s key nuclear infrastructure.
“China respects Afghanistan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Afghanistan’s future should rest in the hands of the Afghan people,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in response during a briefing on Friday.
“Stirring up tension and confrontation in the region will not be supported,” he added.
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