WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Saturday issued a veiled threat to Afghanistan of unspecified retribution if the Taliban-ruled nation failed to “give Bagram Airbase back.”
“If Afghanistan does not give Bagram Airbase back to the people that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!” the 79-year-old leader posted on his Truth Social site.
The cryptic threat followed only days after he raised the possibility of the United States reasserting control over the base during a state visit to the United Kingdom.
Bagram, the largest air base in Afghanistan, was a pillar of the US-led war against the Taliban, whose government Washington overthrew in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
A giant, sprawling base, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and others have consistently made claims of institutionalized human rights violations by US troops at Bagram, particularly against detainees in Washington’s opaque “War on Terror.”
Trump frequently complained about the loss of access to Bagram, citing its close proximity to China, but Thursday was the first time he publicly announced he was working on it.
“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,” Trump said at a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Trump makes cryptic threat to Afghanistan regarding Bagram air base
US and NATO forces withdrew in disarray from Bagram in July 2021 under a Trump-negotiated peace agreement, as the Taliban recaptured large tracts of Afghanistan before ultimately capturing the whole nation.
Trump has repeatedly excoriated the loss of the base since his return to office, attributing it to his criticism of his predecessor Joe Biden’s management of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Trump also complained about the increasing influence of China in Afghanistan.
Subsequently on Saturday, the US president was questioned by journalists at the White House whether he was planning to send US troops to reclaim Bagram.
We won’t discuss that, but we’re discussing now with Afghanistan, and we want it back and we want it back fast, immediately. And if they don’t, you’re going to see what I’m going to do,” he stated.
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