'Not even one meter of land will be given to US': Afghan FM on Trump's call to reclaim control of Bagram Air Base

Kabul [Afghanistan], September 21 (ANI): Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has firmly rejected calls by US President Donald Trump to reclaim control of Bagram Air Base, declaring that “not even one metre of Afghan land will be given to the Americans.”

The statement, made during a special interview with Tolo News, came days after the US President initially said that Washington was trying to regain control of the base, which is currently under the control of the Taliban government after the US and its allied troops withdrew from the country in 2021.

Afghanistan also issued an official statement on Sunday, addressing recent remarks by Trump, reaffirming Afghanistan’s commitment to a “balanced, economy-orientated foreign policy” rooted in the country’s Islamic principles and mutual interests with all nations.

The statement also emphasised that Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity remain non-negotiable priorities in all bilateral engagements, including with the United States.

“In accordance with Islamic principles and grounded in its balanced, economy-oriented foreign policy, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan seeks constructive relations with all states on the basis of mutual and shared interests,” the statement read.

“It has been consistently communicated to the United States in all bilateral negotiations that, for the Islamic Emirate, Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity are of the utmost importance,” it added.

The Islamic Emirate also referenced the Doha Agreement, under which the US pledged not to use or threaten force against Afghanistan’s territorial integrity or interfere in its internal affairs.

“It should be recalled that, under the Doha Agreement, 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.’ Therefore, it is necessary that they remain faithful to their commitments. Accordingly, it is once again underscored that, rather than repeating past failed approaches, a policy of realism and rationality should be adopted,” it further read.

The US and the Taliban signed the peace agreement in February 2020 under Trump’s first tenure in office. The deal stated the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghan soil, and the Taliban would abate violence and guarantee that its soil would not be a safe haven for terrorists.

During his recent official visit to the UK, Trump said, “We were going to leave Afghanistan, but we were going to leave it with strength and dignity, and we were going to keep Bagram, the big air base – one of the biggest air bases in the world.”

Trump had repeatedly indicated that he would have kept control of the airbase, given its strategic importance near the border between Afghanistan and China.

Trump has already called the decision to withdraw the troops from the airbase “the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country”.

Earlier in the day, Trump, in a post on Truth Social, warned Afghanistan that “bad things are going to happen” if they did not comply with his demand.

“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 warned in a post on Truth Social.”

Bagram Air Base is currently under the control of the Taliban government after the US troops withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021.

Located just north of Kabul, Bagram served as the main hub for US military operations throughout its 20-year presence in Afghanistan.

The site, which also housed a notorious prison, saw thousands of individuals detained for years without charge or trial during the US-led “war on terror”, with many subjected to abuse and torture, as reported by Al Jazeera. (ANI)

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