On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Afghanistan of unspecified retribution in case the Taliban-dominated nation failed to “give Bagram Airbase back.”
He posted on his Truth Social that “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!”
In a later interview with reporters, he adds, “We’re talking now to Afghanistan, and we want it back, and we want it back soon. If they don’t do it, you’re going to find out what I’m going to do.”
This was the hint of a threat that followed shortly after he mentioned the possibility of the United States reclaiming the base on a state visit to the United Kingdom.
The US-led war on the Taliban, whose government was overthrown by the US after the attacks of the United States on September 11, 2001, was anchored at Bagram, which was the largest US air base in Afghanistan.
An enormous and sprawling installation, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and others have repeatedly accused the US forces of systematic human rights offences at Bagram, particularly among detainees in the murky Washington “War on Terror.”
President Trump spoke about the lack of access to Bagram, citing its closeness to China, but it was the first time he publicly announced that he was working on the issue.
In a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Trump states, “We’re trying to get it back, by the way, that could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us.”
In July 2021, US and NATO troops chaotically left Bagram as part of a Trump-brokered peace agreement, as the re-emerged Taliban seized swaths of Afghanistan before ultimately taking control of the country as a whole.
Since coming back to power, Trump has been attacking the loss of the base on multiple occasions, attributing it to his criticism of his predecessor Joe Biden over his withdrawal of the US troops in Afghanistan.
Another issue Trump has grumbled about is the increasing presence of China in Afghanistan.
The US president was questioned later in the day on Saturday at the White House by the reporters whether he was contemplating sending US troops to retake Bagram.
He said, “We won’t talk about that, but we’re talking now to Afghanistan, and we want it back and we want it back soon, right away. And if they don’t do it, you’re going ot find out what I’m going to do.”
