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Taliban Chief rejects Trump's demand to hand Bagram air base back to US

Taliban Chief rejects Trump's demand to hand Bagram air base back to US Photo: Chief of Staff of the Taliban Armed Forces Fasihuddin Fitrat (GettyImages)

The Chief of Staff of the Taliban Armed Forces, Fasihuddin Fitrat, responded to the demand of US President Donald Trump to return the Bagram air base under the control of the United States, according to Bloomberg.

He emphasized that Afghanistan is "completely independent."

"Afghanistan is fully independent, governed by its own people, and not dependent on any foreign power. We do not fear any bully or aggressor," Fitrat stated.

What preceded

In recent days Trump stated that his country is trying to regain control over the air base in Bagram, which is in Afghanistan – American troops withdrew from there in 2021.

According to Donald Trump, the Bagram air base is located "an hour’s drive" from Chinese nuclear weapons production.

According to the BBC, it is not entirely clear what exactly Trump meant. The investigation by BBC Verify in July showed that the nuclear test site is located approximately 2000 km (1243 miles) in the northwest of China.

Earlier, in March, Trump already stated his intention to leave the Bagram air base under the control of the United States, however, "not because of Afghanistan, but because of China."

At the same time, an employee of the Taliban Foreign Ministry, Zakkir Jalal, earlier stated that the Taliban will not allow the restoration of US control over a key air base in Afghanistan.

"Throughout history, Afghans have not accepted a military presence, and this possibility was completely rejected during the Doha talks and agreement, but the doors are open to other engagement," he emphasized.