TEHRAN – Bystanders of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, foreign ministers from China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran held a meeting in Afghanistan and issued a joint statement on September 25th.
The joint statement emphasizes the principle that it must respect Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and oppose the reestablishment of foreign military bases around Afghanistan.
On September 21, the Afghan government issued a statement firmly denies the recent US call to reclaim its air force base. He urged Washington to respect the pledge to the 2020 Doha Agreement that there would be no military interference.
Hamdra Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Afghan government, posted a statement on his X account, highlighting the emphasis on Afghan independence and territorial integrity.
According to a Pakistan Dawn newspaper, Fitrattlat welcomed the four countries’ stance, saying, “Afghanistan will not allow its territory to be used against other countries, and will not allow armed groups to operate from the soil.”
Guo Zi-Kung, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also told reporters on September 26 that China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan were opposed to the move to reestablish war-torn US military bases in Afghanistan.
Built by the Soviets in the 1950s, the air base became essential during the Cold War and the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-89). Since 2001, it has become an operational hub for the US military during the invasion of Afghanistan following the attack on September 11th.
About 800 km from China, Bagram is located in Palwan Province in northern Afghanistan and was the site of the largest military base during a two-year war with the Taliban.
The conflict began on September 18th after President Donald Trump abandoned it more than four years ago, and then announced by the Taliban government that he was “trying to revive” Bagram airfields.
“We’re trying to get it back,” he said at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer, Polichko reported. Trump added that “it’s about an hour away from where China is developing nuclear weapons.”
The whimsical Trump accused Joe Biden of abandoning the Air Force Base. However, the first deal negotiated with the Taliban by the Trump administration in February 2020 paved the way for America to depart, and did not mention the base. It established a ceasefire between us and the Taliban forces, and in 14 months it put aside the full withdrawal of the US forces.
Bill Lodgeo, a US commentator on military issues, says China and the Taliban will never allow the US to seize Bagram despite comments from Trump.
“First of all, the Taliban will never accept my return to the US earlier… I believe the Taliban will give up that Sharia or Islamic law before they believe it will return the US,” Lodgio told Fox News Digital.
“But let’s say the Trump administration can convince the Taliban to consider returning the US to Bagram,” he continued. “The Chinese will descend violently.”
The Lodgeo explained that China and Russia have a vested interest in the US being separated from the region.
After the US’s exit from Afghanistan, China has become Afghanistan’s largest foreign investor, and it is clear that the program has been granted to the country’s mineral wealth, energy reserves and other resources. Apart from China, Iran, Türkiye and Uzbekistan are leading mining investments in Afghanistan.
Trump’s announcement to reclaim Bagram Airfield is not only shocking, but also delusional.
Such inappropriate announcements are a nightmare for Americans who have been forced to accept a humiliating withdrawal after 20 years of war, with enormous economic costs, thousands of lives lost and tens of thousands of injured people forced to embrace a humiliating withdrawal.
The fatal attack on the Air Force Base in Bagram is still fresh as a suicide bomber killed four Americans (two US soldiers and two American contractors) inside Bagram Air Force Base and injured 16 American soldiers and one Polish soldier. The Taliban argued responsibility for the suicide bombing.
It was Trump’s Foreign Secretary Mike Pompeo who negotiated the withdrawal plan through Qatar’s mediation in February 2020. Even the democratically elected Afghan government has been excluded from consultations.
A paranoid Trump has condemned President Biden for losing his air force base. However, Biden inherited the contract.
Trump mistakenly believes that by seizing the air force base, the US can oversee China’s belt and road project and its nuclear program at the new jiang.