Trump demands Afghanistan return air base to US

"If Afghanistan doesn't give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!" US President Donald Trump wrote on September 21.

A day earlier, Trump stated that the United States was in talks with Afghanistan about returning troops to the Bagram air base. He described the US withdrawal from Afghanistan as the most shameful day in the country’s history.

He explained that the base should never have been given up and insisted there had been no reason to do so. He reminded reporters that he had reduced troop levels to 5,000 but emphasized that the plan had been to keep Bagram.

Trump had first raised the possibility of returning US forces to Bagram on September 18 during a press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. At that time, he noted that the US had intended to leave Afghanistan with strength and dignity while retaining Bagram, which he described as one of the largest air bases in the world, but said it had simply been handed over.

In response, Taliban Foreign Ministry official Zakkir Jalal stated that the movement would not allow the United States to regain control over Afghanistan’s key air base.

US withdrawal from Afghanistan

US and allied troops entered Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to hold al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden accountable and to limit the group’s ability to threaten the United States.

On February 29, 2020, the US and Taliban leaders signed the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan. The document stipulated the withdrawal of all regular US and NATO troops by August 31, 2021, while obligating the Taliban to counter al-Qaeda in areas under their control and to engage in talks with the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

The last American soldier left the country on September 11, 2021.