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2h ago

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

The president cites the base’s proximity to Chinese nuclear sites as a rationale, offering no details on how Washington would secure its return.

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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

  • Trump made the declaration at a joint press conference with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying the Taliban “need things from us.”
  • CNN reported the White House has explored options since at least March, with goals that sources said include surveillance of China, counterterrorism basing, rare-earth access, and possibly reopening a diplomatic facility.
  • No public plan has been outlined and it remains unclear whether U.S. forces would be deployed or what terms might be sought from the Taliban.
  • Taliban officials control Bagram and have rejected claims of a Chinese presence at the airfield, disputing earlier assertions from Trump.
  • Bagram was the main U.S. hub in Afghanistan until the 2021 withdrawal; the effort is framed by Trump as correcting that exit, though a 2020 deal with the Taliban complicates any return.