US President Donald Trump said Thursday that his country is trying to regain control of the former US Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan.Speaking at a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the president criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the US withdrawal in Afghanistan, calling it “a total disaster,” and emphasized the strategic importance of the airbase, saying the US is going to leave Afghanistan, “but we’re going to leave it with strength and dignity.”"We're trying to get it back," Trump said of the airbase, citing it as one of the biggest in the world."We're trying to get it back because they need things from us.".Trump’s DOGE program expands data access following appeals court ruling.Bagram Airbase, located about 70 kilometers north of Kabul, was formerly the largest US military facility in the Middle Eastern country, and was previously staffed by the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing of the US Air Force, along with rotating US and coalition forces.The base, which included a hospital with 50 beds, three operating theatres, and a modern dental clinic, fell to Taliban forces on Aug. 15, 2021, after the NATO-trained Afghan National Army surrendered.Since early 2024, satellite imagery and intelligence assessments indicate that China has been operating at the site.Reports from the Telegraph suggest Chinese personnel have been seen at Bagram, overseeing construction and refurbishment projects believed to be funded by the Chinese government.However, China has not formally declared a military presence in the country.
