Trump slams Biden for losing Bagram air base to China

US President Donald Trump has criticised the Biden administration for letting go of the US Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.

Speaking to US troops at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Trump asserted that such events would not have occurred under his leadership, Caliber.Az reports via the White House.

“When you think of it, Russia-Ukraine would have never started, October 7th Israel would have never happened, because Iran, as you know, was broke. They were unable to fund Hamas or anything else,” he said. 

He also revisited the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which he said was mishandled by the Biden administration. 

“We were getting out, but we were getting out with dignity and strength,” Trump told the crowd, adding that his plan included retaining Bagram Air Base due to its strategic proximity to China.

“We aren't going to give that up because it's one hour away from China. One hour. You know who occupies it now? China. The damage that that administration did to this country is legendary,” Trump said.

Bagram Airbase is a major military airfield, located in the Parwan province of Afghanistan. The largest air base in Afghanistan lies about 60 km north of Kabul in the Parwan province. 

It has a significant strategic importance, as it has served major US and NATO military operations in Afghanistan for many years. 

In 2020, the US and the Taliban signed a deal to withdraw international forces from Afghanistan by May 2021. 

The last American aircraft took off from the Kabul airport on August 30, 2021, and the US forces vacated Bagram on July 2. The airbase formally was handed over to the Taliban on August 15. 

By Sabina Mammadli