US President Donald Trump has renewed his call for the United States to regain control of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, four years after American forces completed their withdrawal.
During a joint press conference alongside UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Trump emphasized Bagram’s critical location, stating, “We want that base back. It’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.”
Trump’s comment underscores a broader strategic calculus, as the base lies near the Chinese region of Xinjiang, where nuclear testing and weapons development are believed to occur.
The push to reclaim Bagram comes as the US grapples with China’s expanding nuclear capabilities. According to the Pentagon, the People’s Liberation Army increased its nuclear stockpile to 600 warheads by mid-2024, with projections indicating the arsenal could reach 1,000 by 2030 and 1,500 by 2035. These figures edge China closer to matching the deployed arsenals of the US and Russia under the New START treaty.
Ah yes, let’s go back in Afganistan just a few years after having retreated from it after 20+ years of war that willgo well I’m sure.
Nepal for Xizang and Afghanistan for Xinjiang. The empire is going through anxiety attack. Meanwhile China squeezes American agriculture like a balloon in return.
Afghanistan is the largest country for illegal opium leads into the to heroin production.
In 2019 it was reported that “90% of the world’s heroin is made from opium grown in Afghanistan.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47861444
Due to the reinstalled Taliban government they banned opium poppy cultivation and opium production in a April 2022 law which both saw a declined by 95% in 2023. https://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Afghanistan/Afghanistan_opium_survey_2023.pdf Page 5
Footage of American soldiers guarding opium poppy fields
U.S. Soldiers Grow Opium Heroin Poppy in Afganistan - Fox News.avi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAwKvwdyMTg
US Military Helping Afghan Farmers Grow Opium Poppies!.avi ABC News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3sfruTWsME
They will be getting shot at by their own weapons they left behind when they left the last time.
As much as I’d like to see that those weapons have probably deteriorated beyond repair by now.
Maybe air defence systems or some of the more complex equipment has but I doubt there’s anything wrong with regular firearms or air defence guns, I highly doubt the Taliban doesn’t have the know-how to do maintenance work on those. And if they want to recapture the base you probably won’t carpet bomb it, you need to come down at some point. They have plenty of RPGs, or similar weapons that be used to defend it.
Modern weapons systems require resources, infrastructure, and know-how that the Taliban simply don’t possess. Unless they’ve gotten these things from some other country they have no means to maintain, repair, or replace any of the gear & equipment they looted during the US retreat.
It also just doesn’t make sense for them to use them other than for propaganda reasons. They’re already familiar with Soviet weapon systems so their successors would be easier to train people in while also being a more economical choice due to less maintenance requirements, more availability, cheaper, easier to acquire ammunition, etc.
Didn’t get enough of the graveyard of empires last time?
Coming back to be buried in it for good
Go to where China has nukes. That’s one hell of a fuck around and find out.
What are the Taliban’s relationships with Russia and China like these days?
Russia is the only country in the UN that formally recognizes the Taliban’s government as official, whereas China became the first non-Muslim majority country to accept diplomatic credentials from the Taliban.
Good to know. That’s a major deterrent compared with before.
Just saying, Afghanistan has observer status already in SCO :)
Trump’s comment underscores a broader strategic calculus, as the base lies near the Chinese region of Xinjiang, where nuclear testing and weapons development are believed to occur.
Obviously Russian propaganda! It’s about saving people from genocide.
Oh my - Dump’s at it again
