"President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested that he is working to reestablish a U.S. presence at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, four years after America's chaotic withdrawal from the country left the base in the Taliban's hands. Trump floated the idea during a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he wrapped up a state visit to the U.K. and tied it to the need for the U.S. to counter its top rival, China."
"During his first presidency, Trump set the terms for the U.S. withdrawal by negotiating a deal with the Taliban. The 20-year conflict came to an end in disquieting fashion under President Joe Biden: The U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed, a grisly bombing killed 13 U.S. troops and 170 others, and thousands of desperate Afghans descended on Kabul's airport in search of a way out before the final U.S. aircraft departed over the Hindu Kush."
United States signals intent to reestablish a military presence at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, four years after a chaotic withdrawal left the facility in Taliban hands. The proposal is linked to strategic competition with China and to assessments about consequences of the prior withdrawal for global adversaries. No immediate confirmation of planning from the White House or Pentagon was provided. The 20-year conflict ended with the U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsing, a bombing that killed 13 U.S. troops and 170 others, and thousands of Afghans crowding Kabul's airport before final evacuation flights.
Read at www.npr.org
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