WASHINGTON/KABUL – In a rare point of agreement, senior U.S. and Taliban officials have issued categorical denials to quell persistent rumors and speculative reports suggesting a potential return of American military forces to Afghanistan’s Bagram Airfield.
The speculation, which has swirled for days across social media and regional news outlets, was firmly dismissed by both governments as “entirely baseless.”
Official Denials from Washington
Two senior U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, explicitly refuted the claims. A Pentagon source stated that “no U.S. troops are in Afghanistan,” reaffirming the complete military withdrawal that concluded in August 2021. Separately, a diplomatic official in Washington clarified that there are “no plans or negotiations underway to re-establish a military presence in the country.”
The clarifications appear to be a direct response to a recent political firestorm reignited by former U.S. President Donald Trump. In a public statement, Trump claimed his administration might seek to negotiate with the Taliban to “reclaim” the strategically vital Bagram base. He framed such a move as essential for countering China’s influence and combating the regional threat of ISIS-K, warning of “serious consequences” if the Taliban refused to cooperate.
Talistani Leadership Rejects “Fabricated” Claims
In response to the burgeoning rumors, the Taliban’s military leadership issued a firm rebuttal. A spokesperson stated that the Islamic Emirate “will not hand over the Bagram airbase to the United States or any other foreign power,” emphasizing that Afghan soil would not be used against neighboring countries.
Taliban officials also dismissed accompanying reports of prisoner transfers or troop movements near the airbase as “completely fabricated,” attributing the falsehoods to malicious actors seeking to destabilize the regime.
Roots of the Speculation and a Challenged Information Environment
The rumors appear to have originated from claims that the Taliban had ordered residents living near the former airbase, located north of Kabul, to evacuate the area. These reports gained traction amid a widespread internet blackout and disrupted communication networks across Afghanistan, creating an information vacuum easily filled by unverified claims.
Despite the official denials from both capitals, online speculation persisted, with some political analysts and activists suggesting a secret understanding between the two parties could have been reached. Theories circulated that intermediaries, such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, or Uzbekistan, could be facilitating a clandestine arrangement for shared or conditional use of the facility.
Analysts Point to Strategic Logic, But Deem Return “Highly Improbable”
The strategic value of Bagram is undeniable. As noted by Foreign Policy magazine, a negotiated U.S. return to the massive airbase, with its long runways and extensive infrastructure, “cannot be ruled out” in the abstract, given its potential utility for counter-terrorism operations and regional power projection.
However, the same analysis and current political realities suggest such a move is highly improbable. For the Taliban, allowing a foreign military force to return would be seen as a profound betrayal of their core ideology and a direct challenge to their legitimacy, likely triggering significant internal dissent. For the Biden administration, which executed the withdrawal with the explicit goal of ending America’s “forever war,” any move to reintroduce troops would be politically untenable.
For now, the definitive statements from both sides paint a clear picture: no American military personnel remain in Afghanistan, and Bagram Airbase—once the bustling nerve center of U.S. and NATO operations for nearly two decades—is now firmly, and solely, under Taliban control.
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