Trump warns Afghanistan of ‘bad things’ if it does not return Bagram base

If Afghanistan doesn’t give Washington back control of the Bagram airbase, President Donald Trump has threatened to do so with unspecified consequences.

The Taliban-controlled government rejected Trump’s request to return the sprawling airbase, which is located 40 kilometers (64 kilometers) from Kabul, the country’s capital.

BAD THINGS WILL GO ON! “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to the United States of America who built it,” says one spokesman. Trump’s platform, Truth Social, contained some writing.

During the two decades of conflict that followed the attacks by al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001, in New York and Washington, Bagram, a sprawling complex, served as the main US military base in Afghanistan.

During the so-called “war on terror,” US forces imprisoned thousands of people there for years without finding a charge or trial, and many of them were tortured or abused.

Following the US withdrawal and the fall of the Afghan government, the Taliban reclaimed control of the facility in 2021.

Trump has frequently complained about Bagram’s lack of access, noting its proximity to China, but his comments on Thursday, during a visit to the UK, were the first to reveal that he was working on the issue.

By the way, that might be a little breaking news, but we’re trying to get it back. At a press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump stated that “we’re trying to get it back because they need it.”

However, Afghan officials have opposed a resumption of the US presence.

Without the United States having any military presence in any of Afghanistan, Zakir Jalal, a ministry of foreign affairs official, stated on X on Friday, “Afghanistan and the United States must engage in dialogue.”

According to him, “Kabul is ready to pursue political and economic ties with Washington based on “mutual respect and shared interests.”

Trump has repeatedly criticized the base’s decline since coming to power, citing his criticism of Joe Biden’s administration’s handling of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Trump has also voiced his concerns about China’s growing influence in Afghanistan.

Trump said, “We won’t talk about that,” but when asked whether he would send in troops to retake the base on Saturday.