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6h ago

Trump Says U.S. Is Trying to Reclaim Bagram Air Base

No plan has been disclosed, with experts warning that retaking the base would require a major troop deployment.

FILE - 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)
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Overview

  • At a Sept. 18 news conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Trump said the U.S. is trying to “get back” Bagram Air Base from the Taliban.
  • CNN reports Trump has pressed national security aides for months to find a path to regain the airfield, citing goals that include monitoring China, counterterrorism and access to Afghan minerals.
  • Trump highlights Bagram’s proximity to Chinese missile and nuclear sites, while Taliban and Afghan officials deny any Chinese control and reject a renewed foreign military presence.
  • A U.S. official told Reuters there is no active planning to seize Bagram, and neither Trump nor agencies have provided operational details or confirmed negotiations.
  • Current and former U.S. military officials say holding the base could take roughly 10,000 troops and carry the optics and risks of a renewed invasion.