“If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!”
President Donald Trump warned the Taliban that “bad things” will happen if they do not return Bagram Airbase to the United States.
“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 in a post on Truth Social on Saturday.
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View on XSpeaking alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer last Thursday, Trump revealed his administration is “trying” to reclaim the airfield.”
We're trying to get it back," Trump said. “We're trying to get it back because they need things from us."
The president did not offer details on what steps might be taken but emphasized Bagram’s strategic importance.
"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," he added. He also critizied the Biden administration for its failed withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 2021, which saw the Taliban quickly regain power in the country.
Bagram is located north of Kabul, Afghanistan's capital. It previously served as an essential base in military operations against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Around 2012, it had more than 100,000 troops.
Zakir Jalaly, an Afghan Foreign Ministry official, dismissed the notion of the base 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,” Jalaly said 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.”
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