Taliban Denies Report Control Of Bagram Air Base Was Given Back To U.S.
The Taliban, who govern Afghanistan as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, have denied reports they have handed control of Bagram Air Base back over to the U.S.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Government stated these reports were “propaganda” and repeated the position that no foreign troops would be permitted on the territory of Afghanistan.
Bagram Air Base was the main base for the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan from 2001-2021, as well as for the Soviet Union during the 1980’s.
The claims follow weeks of online rumors about possible U.S. activity at Bagram Air Base, which follows diplomatic contacts between Washington and Kabul that involved the release a two Americans that were imprisoned in Kabul and the U.S. removing bounties it had placed on Taliban figures, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Deputy Leader of the Taliban and Interior Minister of Afghanistan.
Early Tuesday, reports made online about the alleged handover were incorrectly attributed to the online Afghan press service ‘Khaama’ which sparked speculation that the U.S. had regained control over Bagram Air Base.
U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed on multiple occasions in recent months that China operates the base now and that he would have never withdrawn U.S. forces from Bagram in 2021 if he had been President. Trump has also been demanding the Afghan Government return all U.S. made equipment that was left behind during the U.S. withdrawal in 2021.
At the moment the Trump Administration has not commented on the reports or the extent of diplomatic contacts with Kabul.
While it is unlikely the U.S. is back in control of Bagram, there are signs that back channel diplomacy is taking place between the U.S. and Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s spokesman also recently confirmed that talks were ongoing for the Taliban to reopen the Afghan Embassy in Washington D.C., while the Trump Administration has publicly dismissed the idea of the U.S. reopening the embassy in Kabul.