Jalalabad: The Taliban government on Sunday rejected US President Donald Trump’s bid to retake Bagram Air Base, four years after America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan left the sprawling military facility under Taliban control.
It remains unclear what discussions the United States has had with Afghan officials about returning to the country. However, Trump recently hinted that the Taliban, grappling with an economic crisis, international legitimacy issues, internal rifts and rival militant groups since their return to power in 2021, might be open to allowing the US military back.
Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid firmly dismissed Trump’s assertions and urged the United States to adopt a policy of “realism and rationality.” He said Afghanistan pursued an economy-oriented foreign policy and sought constructive relations with all states on the basis of mutual and shared interests, in a post on X.
Mujahid stressed that Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity were of the utmost importance and had been consistently communicated to Washington during all bilateral negotiations.
“It should be recalled that, under the Doha Agreement, the United States pledged that it will not use or threaten force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan, nor interfere in its internal affairs,” he said, adding that the US needed to remain faithful to its commitments.
He did not respond to questions from The Associated Press about any conversations with the Trump administration regarding Bagram or why Trump believed the US could retake the base.
In August last year, the Taliban marked the third anniversary of their takeover at Bagram with a grand military display of abandoned US hardware, drawing the White House’s attention. Trump has repeatedly criticised his predecessor, Joe Biden, for what he calls “gross incompetence” during the withdrawal of US forces after the country’s longest war.
With PTI inputs