US President Donald Trump yesterday threatened sanctions on Afghanistan, without specifying which, if the Taliban who are in power in that country, “do not return to the USA” the Bagram air base that the Americans abandoned during their withdrawal in 2021.
“If Afghanistan does not return the Bagram air base to those who built it, the United States of America, serious things will happen,” the US president wrote on his platform Truth Social.
He also mentioned that idea a few days ago at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the last day of his visit to Great Britain.
“One of the reasons why we want that base is, as you know, that it is located one hour from where China produces its nuclear weapons,” Trump said then.
When asked yesterday if he plans to send American troops to retake Bagram, Trump said that the USA is “currently in negotiations with Afghanistan,” that they want to retake that base and, as he pointed out, “quickly, immediately.” “And if they don’t return it, you will find out what I intend to do,” Trump said.
Bagram, which is located 50 kilometers from Kabul, is the largest air base in Afghanistan and served the Americans to conduct operations for two decades after the September 11, 2001 attacks and the invasion of Afghanistan carried out by an international coalition led by the USA.
American and NATO troops withdrew from the base in July 2021, when the Taliban were taking control of large parts of Afghanistan before finally occupying the entire country the following month.
Trump has repeatedly, since returning to power, expressed regret over the loss of the base; and has criticized his predecessor Joe Biden for the withdrawal of Americans from Afghanistan.
Trump also complains about the growing influence of the rival superpower China in Afghanistan.
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Source: N1; Foto: AP / Matthias Schrader