The Mysterious Case of the Bagram Airbase

There is an unconfirmed report that the US has redeployed at the Bagram air base in Afghanistan.

- HARSHA KAKAR

This base was the command centre for NATO and US forces throughout their occupation of Afghanistan. It was taken over by the Taliban after the US withdrawal and collapse of the Afghan army. Bagram has two runways, including one capable of handling bombers and large cargo aircraft, parking slots for over 100 fighter aircraft, a 50-bed hospital and can accommodate substantial forces.

The report first emerged on Khaama Press, a media outlet which claims it reports from Afghanistan, though based in the US. The report tracked a US C-17 aircraft which took off from the Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar and landed in Bagram via Pakistan. The report adds that the flight was carrying top US intelligence officials, including Michael Ellis, the CIA's deputy chief. Adding to the mystery and dubious intent, the report mentions that the aircraft switched off its transponder on entering Afghanistan airspace and switched it on when it re-entered Pakistan.

The report has been denied by the Taliban's chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. He said, "There is no need for any country's military presence in Afghanistan at present and the Islamic Emirate will not allow such an action." He added that such an act was 'impossible'. There were no comments from the US. To add credence to the report was another input claiming that officials from China's Ministry of State Security and Iran's IRGC rushed to Kabul to meet Taliban's senior intelligence officials.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly been desiring redeployment in Bagram. The reason given by him is 'because Bagram is exactly one hour away from where China makes its nuclear missiles'. He had mentioned that the US should have 'a small force in Bagram'.