New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Thursday again publicly stated that he is considering a return to the strategic Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. It has been four years since the American-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) withdrew from the airbase, which is about 60 km north of Kabul.
He had earlier suggested the idea, which must have resulted from a deep probe, long discussions, and a detailed briefing by his team of advisors.
Incidentally, the ‘Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan’ was signed with the Taliban in Doha on February 29, 2020, during the first term of President Trump. The Taliban returned to power in Kabul after US-led forces hastily withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021.
Hours after Trump shared his thoughts, Zakir Jalaly, a Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul, replied on X, “Afghanistan and America need to interact with each other and can have economic and political relations based on mutual respect and shared interests, without the US having a military presence in any part of Afghanistan.”
Referring to the agreement, he added, “Military presence has never been accepted by Afghans throughout history, and this possibility was completely rejected during the Doha talks and agreement; however, the doors are open for further interactions.”
For the US, Bagram can be an ideal intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance hub to monitor South, Central, and West Asia. It would enable regional counter terrorism operations, maintain an airlift and refueling node for rapid regional response, and provide a forward platform to monitor activities in the area.
In April this year, there were reports about a US military aircraft, operating under radio silence and with its transponder blocked, apparently flying from Doha toward Afghanistan. It was said to have been tracked near Bagram Air Base, sparking speculation of a US visit or temporary presence at the base.
The claims remain unverified, and the Taliban administration denied that it has handed over Bagram or that US personnel have landed there, calling such reports false or propaganda.
Some experts had warned the sightings could be misinformation or a psychological operation, noting flight-tracking anomalies and a lack of primary-source verification.
For the US, to reclaim the Bagram airfield would involve astute diplomacy and leverage; it may not purely be a kinetic re-entry.
Though Beijing has been quietly following the developments, Chinese and Hong Kong English-language media coverage framed Trump’s remarks as geopolitically sensitive.
The Wakhan Corridor, situated in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan Province, connects China’s Xinjiang region, where the Uyghur ethnic group is demanding an independent state for themselves.
This autonomous region in northwest China borders several Central Asian countries.
Analysts quoted in regional reporting warned that Beijing would view any renewed US military presence in Afghanistan as destabilising for regional security and a potential escalation in US-China rivalry.
The move would also involve spending several billion dollars on large-scale military commitment, heavy defensive and sustainment requirements, repairing, refurbishing, and then continuously resupplying a large, isolated air base in a landlocked country.
Additionally, it would be a costly logistical process and demand long-term force protection and sustainment capabilities.
Even after occupation, the base would need continuous clearing and defense of a massive perimeter to prevent rocket, mortar, and infiltration attacks from insurgents and hostile militant groups.
–IANS
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