"Not An Inch": Taliban Rejects Trump's Demand For Return Of Bagram Air Base

Taliban Rejects Trump's Demand for Return of Bagram Air Base with "Not An Inch" Response

The Bagram Air Base, originally constructed by Soviet forces in the 1980s, has become a point of contention between former US President Donald Trump and Afghanistan's current leadership.

A senior Afghan defense official declared Sunday that returning the Bagram air base to American control was "not possible," responding to Trump's recent demands for the United States to reclaim the strategic installation.

Bagram, situated north of Kabul, served as the epicenter of American military operations throughout their two-decade conflict with the Taliban, making it a symbolically and strategically significant location.

Trump issued what appeared to be a threat on his Truth Social platform, writing: "If Afghanistan doesn't give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!"

Addressing these comments, Fasihuddin Fitrat, chief of staff at Afghanistan's defense ministry, stated that some parties were attempting to negotiate the base's return through "political deals."

"Recently, some people have said that they have entered negotiations with Afghanistan for taking back Bagram air base," Fitrat noted in statements carried by local media outlets. "A deal over even an inch of Afghanistan's soil is not possible. We don't need it."

The Afghan government later reinforced this position with an official statement emphasizing that "Afghanistan's independence and territorial integrity are of the utmost importance."

Trump has consistently criticized the abandonment of the base, particularly highlighting its proximity to China. His comments in Britain marked the first time he publicly suggested reclaiming control of the installation.

US and NATO forces withdrew from Bagram in July 2021 during Joe Biden's presidency, though the withdrawal stemmed from a 2020 agreement with the Taliban that Trump's administration had negotiated. The subsequent loss of air support capabilities contributed to the rapid collapse of the Afghan military and the Taliban's return to power.

When questioned at the White House about potentially deploying troops to retake Bagram, Trump responded cryptically: "We won't talk about that, but we're talking now to Afghanistan, and we want it back and we want it back soon, right away. And if they don't do it, you're going to find out what I'm going to do."

The expansive facility has been linked to alleged human rights violations by US forces, with organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch documenting systematic abuses against detainees during America's "War on Terror."

The air base's history stretches back to the early 1950s when it was initially constructed with Soviet assistance, later expanded with American support during the Cold War, and further developed by Moscow during their decade-long occupation of Afghanistan.

At the peak of American presence around 2010, Bagram had expanded to resemble a small town, featuring supermarkets and familiar American food outlets like Dairy Queen and Burger King.

Several US presidents visited the base during American occupation, including Barack Obama in 2012 and Trump himself in 2019.