Donald Trump has renewed calls for the Taliban to return military equipment left in Afghanistan while criticising Joe Biden’s handling of the withdrawal. He also claimed Bagram Airbase was vital for monitoring China’s nuclear missile production.

U.S. President Donald Trump has once again called on the Taliban to return military equipment left behind by U.S. forces, while renewing his criticism of former President Joe Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. Speaking at a press conference in Washington, Trump argued that the withdrawal was mismanaged and reiterated his claim that his administration had a different plan in place, one that would have retained control of Bagram Airbase, not for Afghanistan, but as a strategic outpost against China and to monitor China’s nuclear missile production. 

According to President Trump, Bagram, one of the largest military airbases in the world, was crucial due to its proximity to Chinese nuclear missile production sites. He stated that under his leadership, the U.S. would have kept a small force at the base while executing the withdrawal in a controlled manner. However, he blamed former President Joe Biden for abandoning Bagram and claimed that China has since taken control of the facility.

Beyond the airbase, President Trump focused on the billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment left behind in Afghanistan. He accused the Taliban of parading U.S. vehicles, including brand-new trucks, in public displays and stated that the American public was unaware of the amount of aid sent to Afghanistan. “We sent them billions of dollars in aid which nobody knew. The American public knows now,” he said. Trump had instructed his Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, to explore ways to reclaim the abandoned military assets.

The Taliban have not yet responded to Trump’s latest remarks. However, when he made similar claims in the past, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid responded that Bagram Airbase remains under Afghan control and denied any Chinese presence at the facility.  While, Taliban spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Abdul Qahar Balkhi dismissed the idea of returning U.S. military equipment, stating that these assets are now the property of the Afghan state and that there was no agreement with the U.S. regarding their return.

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