Trump’s Bagram Threat: Not The Way Presidents Behave
In toto, this makes one wonder what kind of a man the American public elected, who makes every move for his selfish political or monetary gain, not for his country or its people
[Donald Trump on the campaign trail in Las Vegas, Nevada June 18, 2016. (REUTERS/David Becker/Files)]
U.S. President Donald Trump has fired a fresh salvo from his wish list, ignoring sovereignty of an independent nation and ignoring all norms of international decorum and diplomacy. He seems to act like a child who must cry, when he wants to take control of any other sovereign country.
After making demands of taking over Greenland, Mexico and adding Canada to the USA, the US President Donald Trump has once again targetted a sovereign nation, just to fulfill his wish list or dreams or efforts to neutralise his arch foes.
In his latest demand, Trump said on Thursday (September 18) that his administration is pressing to “get back” the military base at Bagram, Afghanistan. The US president, who has long expressed hope of reclaiming the facility, noted that its position is strategically vital due to its proximity to China.
According to him Bagram is strategically vital due to its proximity to China. “We’re trying to get it back,” Trump announced. “We gave it to [the Taliban] for nothing,” he complained, adding that Bagram is “exactly one hour away from where China makes its nuclear missiles”.
He coolly ignores the question that how the US came to possess Bagram, after sending its marauding troops to an independent sovereign nation under the garb of countering terrorism, as if the US knew with 100% surety that the front of terrorism was based in Afghanistan?
And what they did to the country during their 20-years presence is well-known?
On Truth Social, he wrote, “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.”
One just needs to have a glance at the wording of the threat coming from the US president, which claims to be the oldest democracy in the world, and which completely ignores any decency, decorum, or the sanctity for the international rule of law.
As expected, the ruling Taliban officials have dismissed the idea. A foreign ministry official declared on social media on Friday (September 19) that Kabul is ready to engage, but maintained that the US will not be allowed to re-establish a military presence in the central Asian country.
“Afghanistan and the United States need to engage with one another … without the United States maintaining any military presence in any part of Afghanistan,” Zakir Jalal, a foreign ministry official, posted on social media.Kabul is ready to pursue political and economic ties with Washington based on “mutual respect and shared interests,” he added.
Lying just north of Kabul, Bagram, which hosted a notorious prison, served as the centre of the US military’s operations during its two-decade occupation of Afghanistan.
Thousands of people were also imprisoned at the site for years without charge or trial by the United States during its so-called “war on terror”, and many of those were abused or tortured.
Trump has repeatedly expressed regret that the base was abandoned, arguing that Washington should have maintained a small force, not because of Afghanistan but because of its location near China.
The latest remarks came as Trump confirmed for the first time that his administration has been in talks with Taliban officials.
Over the weekend, Adam Boehler, his special hostage envoy, and Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US envoy for Afghanistan, met Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul. Discussions reportedly centred on American citizens detained in Afghanistan.
US officials have been weighing the possibility of re-establishing a presence at Bagram since at least March, according to reports cited by the US media outlet CNN.
However, the Taliban’s top military commander has rejected President Donald Trump’s call. The commander warned of a strong reaction to any form of hostility.The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Fasihuddin Fitrat, dismissed Trump’s demand during a state-run TV event in Kabul on Sunday (September 21). Fitrat stressed on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and its capability to govern itself without any foreign intervention.
"Afghanistan is fully independent, governed by its own people, and not dependent on any foreign power," Bloomberg quoted Fitrat saying at the event. "We do not fear any bully or aggressor."
Trump has consistently criticised his predecessor, Joe Biden, holding him responsible for the disorderly US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Bagram has been under Taliban control since the American forces retreated under a negotiated agreement. The base is currently a symbol of the Taliban’s triumph and is often displayed during official visits and military parades.The base, a significant military asset, has been a point of contention since the US withdrawal.
The refusal by the Taliban not only underscores their assertion of sovereignty but also sets a precedent for future negotiations and demands.The situation warrants close monitoring as it could potentially escalate existing tensions and impact future diplomatic relations.
Strategically located at the crossroads of Iran, Pakistan, China’s Xinjiang region, and Central Asia, Bagram gives potential US influence over the region, including monitoring Russian and Chinese activities.
Trump has also repeatedly said that China has since established a presence at the base, which is north of the capital, Kabul.
The Taliban have denied the claim. Also, a BBC investigation - which examined 30 satellite images from late 2020 to 2025 - found very little activity at the base since the Taliban returned, and no evidence to support China's presence at the base.
Though India, so far has not commented on the development, on Friday (September 19) a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said, "China respects Afghanistan's territorial integrity and sovereignty", adding that "the future of Afghanistan should be in the hands of Afghan people".
In toto, this makes one wonder what kind of a man the American public elected, who makes every move for his selfish political or monetary gain, not for his country or its people, and where he would ultimately lead America to, despite his MAGA claims.
(The writer, Asad Mirza, is a New Delhi-based senior commentator on national, international, defence and strategic affairs, environmental issues, an interfaith practitioner, and a media consultant.)
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