Trump says US seeking to regain Bagram airbase in Afghanistan
CHEQUERS: President Donald Trump said on Thursday (Sep 18) that the United States was working to “get back” the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan, which it vacated shortly before the Taliban seized power in 2021.
“We’re trying to get it back, that could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” Trump said at a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“We want that base back,” he added, noting that “one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons”.
US officials did not immediately clarify what Trump meant by his remarks.
STRATEGIC BASE
Bagram, Afghanistan’s largest airbase, served as the hub of US-led operations in the country for two decades after the September 11 attacks.
US and NATO troops withdrew from the facility in July 2021 as the Taliban swept across the country and eventually retook control of Kabul.
Trump has repeatedly criticised the loss of the base since returning to office, framing it as a failure of his predecessor Joe Biden’s handling of the US withdrawal.
He has also warned about China’s growing influence in Afghanistan.
