Latest News
US slips out of Bagram silently without notifying new commander
The U.S. left Afghanistan’s Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years by shutting off the electricity and slipping away in the night without notifying the base’s new Afghan commander, who discovered the Americans’ departure more than two hours after they left, Afghan military officials said, the Associated Press reported.
The U.S. announced Friday it had completely vacated its biggest airfield in the country in advance of a final withdrawal the Pentagon says will be completed by the end of August.
“We (heard) some rumor that the Americans had left Bagram … and finally by seven o’clock in the morning, we understood that it was confirmed that they had already left Bagram,” Gen. Mir Asadullah Kohistani, Bagram’s new commander said.
U.S. military spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett did not address the specific complaints of many Afghan soldiers who inherited the abandoned airfield, instead referring to a statement last week, AP reported.
The statement said the handover of the many bases had been in the process soon after President Joe Biden’s mid-April announcement that America was withdrawing the last of its forces. Leggett said in the statement that they had coordinated their departures with Afghanistan’s leaders.
Before the Afghan army could take control of the airfield about an hour’s drive from the Afghan capital Kabul, it was invaded by a small army of looters, who ransacked barrack after barrack and rummaged through giant storage tents before being evicted, according to Afghan military officials.
“At first we thought maybe they were Taliban,” said Abdul Raouf, a soldier of 10 years. He said the the U.S. called from the Kabul airport and said “we are here at the airport in Kabul.”
As of last week, most NATO soldiers had already quietly left. The last U.S. soldiers are likely to remain until an agreement to protect the Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport, which is expected to be done by Turkey, is completed, AP reported.
Bagram was a massive facility, the size of a small city, that had been exclusively used by the U.S. and NATO. AP reported that the sheer size is extraordinary, with roadways weaving through barracks and past hangar-like buildings. There are two runways and over 100 parking spots for fighter jets known as revetments because of the blast walls that protect each aircraft. One of the two runways is 3,660 meters long and was built in 2006. There’s a passenger lounge, a 50-bed hospital and giant hangar-size tents filled with supplies such as furniture.
Kohistani said the U.S. left behind 3.5 million items, all itemized by the departing U.S. military. They include tens of thousands of bottles of water, energy drinks and military ready-made meals, known as MRE’s.
“When you say 3.5 million items, it is every small item, like every phone, every door knob, every window in every barracks, every door in every barracks,” he said.
The big ticket items left behind include thousands of civilian vehicles, many of them without keys to start them, and hundreds of armored vehicles. Kohistani said the U.S. also left behind small weapons and the ammunition for them, but the departing troops took heavy weapons with them. Ammunition for weapons not being left behind for the Afghan military was blown up before they left.
Afghan soldiers who wandered Monday throughout the base that had once seen as many as 100,000 U.S. troops were deeply critical of how the U.S. left Bagram, leaving in the night without telling the Afghan soldiers tasked with patrolling the perimeter.
“In one night, they lost all the goodwill of 20 years by leaving the way they did, in the night, without telling the Afghan soldiers who were outside patrolling the area,” said Afghan soldier Naematullah, who asked that only his one name be used, AP reported.
Within 20 minutes of the U.S.’s silent departure on Friday, the electricity was shut down and the base was plunged into darkness, said Raouf, the soldier of 10 years who has also served in Taliban strongholds of Helmand and Kandahar provinces.
The sudden darkness was like a signal to the looters, he said. They entered from the north, smashing through the first barrier, ransacking buildings, loading anything that was not nailed down into trucks.
On Monday, three days after the U.S. departure, Afghan soldiers were still collecting piles of garbage that included empty water bottles, cans and empty energy drinks left behind by the looters.
Kohistani, meanwhile, said the nearly 20 years of U.S. and NATO involvement in Afghanistan was appreciated but now it was time for Afghans to step up, AP reported.
“We have to solve our problem. We have to secure our country and once again build our country with our own hands,” he said.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart in Kabul on Saturday called on the neighboring country to prevent the violation of the rights of Afghan refugees.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed various issues including refugees, politics, economy, trade, transit and major joint projects, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Amir Khan Muttaqi stressed the need to maintain positive relations based on mutual respect between Afghanistan and the countries of the world, especially Pakistan, and announced that the Islamic Emirate has adopted a balanced policy that will help develop cooperation with neighboring countries, including Pakistan.
Muttaqi also spoke about recent developments in Afghanistan and opportunities for development in various sectors, adding that Afghanistan is interested in expanding trade, transit and carrying out joint projects with Pakistan.
He further called on the Pakistani authorities to take effective measures to resolve the existing problems in these areas and provide necessary facilities for further cooperation. The acting foreign minister also expressed deep concern over the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and called on Pakistani authorities to prevent violations of the rights of Afghan refugees.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar expressed his satisfaction with the visit to Afghanistan, adding that the visit could help improve relations and expand bilateral cooperation. He also invited Muttaqi to visit Pakistan.
Dar also announced that to facilitate bilateral trade, tariffs on many commercial items will be reduced and effective steps will be taken in the field of transportation of commercial goods. He also stressed that the Pakistani government is committed to expanding trade and transit with Afghanistan and will provide necessary facilities for this purpose.
During the meeting, the two sides also discussed the importance of strengthening diplomatic relations, joint cooperation, increasing visa issuance, fast transportation of agricultural products, trade growth and projects such as the Trans-Afghan railway, CASA 1000 electricity, TAPI gas and TAP electricity.
The meeting decided to form joint committees to follow up on issues raised and resolve existing problems.
Russia’s foreign spy service chief, Sergei Naryshkin, has claimed that Western intelligence agencies are looking for ways to help anti-government forces in Afghanistan in hopes of keeping the country in a state of disarray.
Naryshkin visited Baku on April 17-18 to participate in the conference “Afghanistan: Regional Interconnectivity, Security and Development.”
According to him, the West is trying to maintain instability in Afghanistan in order to advance its own geopolitical interests. “It is the Westerners who continue to block Afghan assets and maintain sanctions against Kabul, while Western intelligence agencies are looking for ways to support anti-government forces in this country,” the statement said, TASS news agency reported.
He emphasized that Afghanistan “occupies an important place in geopolitics, and it is in the common interest of our states to promote reconstruction and prosperity on the Afghan land.”
The Russian foreign spy chief “noted the positive dynamics of Russian-Afghan relations and reported that Russia has started the process of removing the Taliban movement (IEA) from the list of terrorist organizations.” Naryshkin “positively assessed the activities of the current Afghan authorities in the sphere of state-building and expressed confidence in the inevitability of the prospect of their international recognition.”
“The primary obstacle to this scenario, in his opinion, is the West’s desire to maintain instability in Afghanistan to further its own geopolitical interests,” he said.
Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, arrived in Kabul on Saturday for talks with officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
He was welcomed at the airport by Deputy Foreign Minister for Financial and Administrative Affairs Mohammad Naeem and other officials.
During the day-long visit, Dar will call on Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, meet Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, and hold delegation-level talks with Acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.
“The talks will cover entire gamut of Pak-Afghan relationship, focusing on ways and means to deepen cooperation in all areas of mutual interests, including security, trade, connectivity, and people-to-people ties,” the statement said.
“Dar’s visit is a reflection of Pakistan’s commitment to enhance sustained engagement with the brotherly country of Afghanistan,” the statement added.
Tahawol: Pakistan Deputy PM’s trip to Kabul discussed
Saar: Russia accuses West of seeking to destabilize Afghanistan
Iran, US end nuclear talks in Rome, agree to meet next week
Pakistan must prevent violation of refugee rights, Muttaqi tells Dar
Afghanistan qualify for U19 Cricket World Cup 2026
AFC Beach Soccer: UAE thrash Afghanistan 7-1 in opener
ACB names Afghanistan A squad for tri-nation series
Iran’s leader says Yemen’s Houthis act independently, warns against US action
36 mining contracts inked over the past year: Mines ministry
Secretive Chinese network tries to lure fired US federal workers, research shows
Tahawol: Pakistan Deputy PM’s trip to Kabul discussed
Saar: Russia accuses West of seeking to destabilize Afghanistan
Exclusive interview with Indrika Ratwatte, UN Deputy for Afghanistan
Saar: Second round of US-Iran talks discussed
Tahawol: Afghanistan-Pakistan bilateral visits discussed
-
Latest News5 days ago17 babies born at Torkham refugee centers in past two weeks
-
World5 days agoTrump says Iran must give up dream of nuclear weapon or face harsh response
-
Latest News4 days agoPakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan arrives in Kabul
-
Sport4 days agoAfghanistan U-19 cricket team defeats UAE
-
Regional5 days agoIranian foreign minister to visit Moscow ahead of second Iran-US meeting
-
Latest News4 days agoKhalilzad says Pakistan might be using migrant expulsions to infiltrate ISIS into Afghanistan
-
Health5 days agoHealth services to be expanded urgently for return refugees at Torkham border
-
Regional4 days agoKhamenei downplays US talks prospects as some Iranians’ hopes stir, currency gains