Donald Trump announced plans for the U.S. to reclaim its military presence in Afghanistan, particularly the Bagram Airbase, which he claims China now occupies. He criticized Joe Biden for abandoning military equipment worth billions and asserted that the U.S. should maintain a small troop presence there, primarily to counter China’s nuclear missile developments. Trump labeled the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan as “disgraceful” and suggested that it contributed to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. He emphasized that U.S. financial aid to Afghanistan should be reciprocated, highlighting the strategic importance of Bagram and the military equipment left by the Taliban.
Washington DC:
Donald Trump has announced new plans regarding Afghanistan, stating that the US intends to return. “Joe Biden gave it up…I think we should reclaim it,” he remarked, referencing armoured vehicles and the strategic Bagram Airbase. These comments were made during a press briefing following his inaugural Cabinet meeting since assuming the role of commander-in-chief of the US armed forces.
Clarifying his stance, President Trump expressed, “What has deeply troubled me is that we provided billions and billions of dollars to Afghanistan, which many are unaware of, and yet we left behind all of that equipment that would not have occurred if I were president at the time.”
“We (the US) were on our way out during my presidency. I managed to reduce our military presence to under 5,000, but we were committed to retaining Bagram (airbase) – not for Afghanistan’s sake, but due to China, as the airbase is merely one hour away from where China produces its nuclear missiles. Therefore, we were going to hold onto Bagram,” President Trump explained.
He added, “Bagram airbase is one of the largest airbases globally. It features some of the most powerful runways. Very heavy concrete and steel was utilized to fortify it. Anything could be transported on it. And now we relinquished it – and do you know who occupies it currently? China. Because Biden relinquished it. So, we’re going to keep that.”
Emphasizing that the US aims to maintain a minimal troop presence in Afghanistan (notably Bagram), President Trump reiterated that “America will now retain that (Bagram).” He noted that the US military will execute a “withdrawal of all equipment left behind – approximately 40,000 armoured and military heavy vehicles” presently under the Taliban’s control in the country.
Citing the way the US exited Afghanistan as “disgraceful,” President Trump claimed, “In all fairness to Putin – when he observed that, he thought, ‘Well, this is our opportunity to enter Ukraine, as the timing appeared just right.’
He mentioned that Afghanistan continues to survive due to “billions of dollars in aid” from the US, which “nobody discussed,” asserting that under his presidency, “Now all of America seems to be aware of this.” Trump stated that “since we are providing aid, they (the Afghan government) should return it.”
In August 2021, amid the escalating crisis in Afghanistan, then-President Joe Biden defended his decision to completely withdraw troops from the war-torn nation, arguing that history will view this as a “logical, rational, and right decision.” Biden’s choice came twenty years after the US invasion of Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
Conservative estimates indicate that tens of thousands of lives were lost during the twenty-year conflict in Afghanistan.
No formal response has been issued from either the Afghan Taliban or China, which President Trump accused of maintaining a military presence in Afghanistan.
The Bagram airbase was initially built by the USSR during the Cold War, following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, when the US also sought to extend its influence in the region. Many years post the Soviet withdrawal and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US returned to Afghanistan to combat Osama bin Laden. It was during this time that the US acquired Bagram airbase and fortified it.