During a September 18 press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, former President Donald Trump stated, "The US gave Bagram air base to the Taliban for nothing. Now, we are trying to get it back".

He said Bagram air base, formerly the largest US base in Afghanistan and a logistical hub during the 20-year war, "is only about an hour away from where China is developing nuclear weapons".

He did not specify the location of China's alleged nuclear weapons development. However, China is believed to be deploying nuclear weapons in Tibet, which is about 800 km from Bagram air base.

Former US President Donald Trump during a press conference in the UK on 18/9. _Photo: AFP_

While not confirming whether Washington is negotiating with the Taliban for an agreement to reclaim Bagram, Trump commented that he has "leverage" because the Taliban "need a lot of things from us".

Trump also criticized his successor, Joe Biden, for losing the military base in the "total disaster" of the 2021 withdrawal.

"I also intended to withdraw from Afghanistan, but we had a plan to leave from a position of strength and dignity. I also intended to keep Bagram, one of the largest air bases in the world", Trump said.

The former president made a similar statement in March, claiming he had considered maintaining a small force at Bagram air base after the end of the war in Afghanistan.

The entrance area of Bagram air base abandoned since late June 2021, before the last US units withdrew from Afghanistan. _Photo: AP_

According to sources who spoke to CNN, Trump and national security officials have been quietly discussing the possibility of reclaiming Bagram for months. US officials want to use Bagram to monitor China due to its proximity to the Chinese border.

In addition, Washington wants to establish a counterterrorism center to deal with the Islamic State (IS) militants, utilize Afghanistan's mineral resources and potentially reopen a diplomatic presence in the country. All of these objectives require the US to re-establish a military presence in Afghanistan with a base.

Bagram was built by the Soviet Union in the 1950s and became a key US base after 9/11. At its peak, it housed over 100,000 troops, two long runways, a 50-bed hospital, and a prison.

During the war in Afghanistan, Bagram served as the launching point for most US forces, and several US presidents visited the base.

Location of Bagram air base and China. _Graphic: NBC News_

In July 2021, President Biden ordered the Pentagon to withdraw all forces from Bagram as the Taliban closed in on Kabul. A 2023 State Department report concluded that abandoning Bagram exacerbated the chaotic evacuation at Kabul airport, making Hamid Karzai International Airport the only evacuation route.

Thanh Danh (_Via Politico, CNN_)