Afghanistan affirms sovereignty amid US interest in Bagram

A gate is seen at the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, Friday, June 25, 2021. President Donald Trump has suggested he's working to reestablish a U.S. presence at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. That comes four years after America’s chaotic withdrawal from the country left the base in the Taliban’s hands. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)

Afghan authorities have dismissed former US President Donald Trump’s request to return Bagram airbase, stressing the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Officials urged Washington to respect agreements and adopt a “policy of realism and rationality.”

• Bagram airbase is located 50km north of Kabul and was the largest US military facility in Afghanistan.

• It served as a central hub during the US-led war following the 2001 September 11 attacks, including detaining thousands without trial.

• Afghan forces regained control of the site after the 2021 US withdrawal and the collapse of the previous government.

Trump recently highlighted strategic interest in the base, noting its proximity to China’s nuclear testing facilities. Afghan officials, including Zakir Jalaly and Fasihuddin Fitrat, firmly opposed renewed foreign military presence, stressing no part of Afghan territory is negotiable.

Bagram, initially built by the Soviet Union in the 1950s, was later modernised by the US into a large operational and residential facility for troops.

Source: Hindustan Times, Al Jazeera

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