JALALABAD, Afghanistan — The Taliban authorities on Sunday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s bid to retake Bagram Air Base, 4 years after America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan left the sprawling military facility within the Taliban fingers.
It’s unclear what conversations the U.S. has had with Afghan officers about returning to the nation. However Trump hinted that the Taliban, who’ve struggled with an economic crisis, worldwide legitimacy, inside rifts and rival militant teams since their return to power in 2021, may very well be open to permitting the U.S. army again.
The chief Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, rejected Trump’s assertions and urged the U.S. to undertake a coverage of “realism and rationality.” Afghanistan had an economy-oriented overseas coverage and sought constructive relations with all states on the idea of mutual and shared pursuits, Mujahid posted on X.
It had been persistently communicated to the U.S. in all bilateral negotiations that Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity have been of the utmost significance, he mentioned.
“It needs to be recalled that, underneath the Doha Settlement, the USA pledged that ‘it is not going to use or threaten pressure towards the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan, nor intrude in its inside affairs,’” he mentioned. The U.S. wanted to stay devoted to its commitments, he added.
Mujahid didn’t reply to questions from The Related Press about conversations with the Trump administration concerning Bagram and why Trump believed the U.S. might retake it.
In August final yr, the Taliban celebrated the third anniversary of their takeover at Bagram with a grand military display of deserted U.S. {hardware}, catching the attention of the White Home. Trump has repeatedly criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for his “gross incompetence” in the course of the withdrawal of U.S. forces after the nation’s longest conflict.
