This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
US President Donald Trump threatened Afghanistan with unspecified “bad things” if it doesn’t turn Bagram Airfield back to the United States, an action previously rejected by the country’s Taliban rulers.
Afghan Taliban officials pushed back, saying a deal was “not possible,” and called on the United States to abide by prior agreements to not interfere in Afghan matters.
Trump’s September 20 remarks were the second time in two days that he has signaled Washington’s intent to regain control of the sprawling base north of Kabul, which the US controlled until its abrupt pullout in 2021.
Trump has cited the base’s proximity to China as a major reason for regaining US control of the facility, which was originally built by the Soviet Union in the 1950s.
“If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN,” Trump said on September 20 in a social media post, writing in all caps letter.
Speaking later to reporters at the White House, he echoed the threat, though did not specify what might happen.
“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 — if they don’t do it, you’re going to find out what I’m gonna do,” he told reporters.
Speaking to Afghan media on September 21, Fasihuddin Fitrat, chief of staff of the Taliban Defense Ministry, said “some people” want to take back the base through a “political deal.” He did not specify whom he was speaking about.
“A deal over even an inch of Afghanistan’s soil is not possible. We don’t need it,” he was quoted as saying.
In a post to X, a Taliban government spokesman called on Washington to abide by the 2020 Doha Accords, which paved the way for the 2021 pull-out of US forces.
“The United States pledged that ‘it will not use or threaten force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan, nor interfere in its internal affairs’,” the spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, said. “Therefore, it is necessary that they remain faithful to their commitments.”
The Taliban rulers, beset by natural disasters, unrest, poverty, and terrorist attacks, have attempted to improve ties with the global community, although Russia is the only country to so far establish diplomatic relations.
Western nations have said the Taliban must first improve its human rights record, especially in regard to the treatment of women and girls.
In comments two days earlier in London, Trump suggested Afghanistan’s Taliban’s rulers were negotiating with Washington on unspecified matters.
“We’re trying to get it back because they [Taliban rulers] need things from us,” Trump said at a news conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“But one of the reasons we want that base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons. So a lot of things are happening,” he said.
The Wall Street Journal, citing people with knowledge of the matter, said US officials and the Taliban had discussed allowing the US military to use Bagram as a “launch point” for counterterrorism missions.
Experts have said that even if Taliban leaders did allow a US presence at Bagram, the base would need to be defended against threats from the Al-Qaeda and Islamic State terror groups still operating in Afghanistan.
Bagram, about 40 kilometers north of Kabul, was built by the USSR in the 1950s but vastly improved and expanded by the US military.
It was the largest US base in Afghanistan and served as the central command during its 20-year occupation of the country.
The base was handed over in July 2021 to the previous Afghan government — weeks before the chaotic withdrawal of US troops and the eventual takeover of the country by the Taliban.
Washington has kept a minimal level of public engagement with Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, restricting it to hostage negotiations. Afghanistan has remained largely isolated on the global stage and its economy is struggling to attract foreign support and private investments.
Taliban officials rejected Trump’s suggestion that the United States might regain control of Bagram, but they left open the possibility of talks to improve ties.
“Without the US having any military presence in Afghanistan, both Afghanistan and the US need to engage with each other, and they can have political and economic relations based on mutual respect and shared interests,” Zakir Jalaly, a Taliban foreign ministry official, said on social media.
