In this 1988 file photo, Afghan children and a soldier bid farewell to Soviet troops riding atop an armored personnel carrier Image: AP Bagram was used as a base of operations to fight the US-backed mujahedeen, whom then-US President Ronald Reagan called "freedom fighters" on the front line of one of the final Cold War battles. There is immense symbolism in the US departure from Bagram as it is the second time a foreign military has come and gone, using the airfield as a base of operations for a war effort in Afghanistan.īagram was constructed in the 1950s, later used by the Soviet Union in 1979 when it invaded Afghanistan to back a communist government. The enormous Bagram base less than an hour north of Kabul saw over 100,000 troops pass through during the peak of the war effort in 2012. The US will keep a Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar (C-RAM) system at the airport with the troops required to operate it, as per an agreement made with Turkey. Turkey will continue to be responsible for security at the airport, with an agreement between the US and Afghan governments not yet finalized. Security at Hamid Karzai International Airport is critical for the US to maintain a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan. The domestic arrivals terminal at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul Image: Getty Images/AFP/D. Until September, CENTCOM can send up to 300 more soldiers to Afghanistan to help with security, including at the nearby airport. Vasely is in Kabul and has been working with General Miller to facilitate that transition.Īpproximately 650 US troops will remain to secure the US Embassy compound. Inside Afghanistan, Navy Rear Admiral Peter Vasely will be responsible for security at the US Embassy in Kabul. With Miller's departure from Afghanistan, US Central Command (CENTCOM) top official Marine General Frank McKenzie will be in charge of overseeing that effort. In the future, the US can launch airstrikes against the Taliban, al-Qaida or other militant groups such as IS present in the country but will do so with aircraft based outside the country. US President Joe Biden rejected speculation that the withdrawal could be completed ahead of the July 4 national holiday. The White House said later on Friday that all US forces would be out of Afghanistan by the end of August. What happens now?ĭespite the withdrawal, Miller noted the US "still retains all the capabilities and authorities to protect the forces." "There must be some political decisions at the United Nations and NATO, and an agreement must be reached with the Afghan government," Akar said, noting Turkey seeks financial and logistical support from other nations to continue handling security at Karzai International Airport. At present, there are 500 Turkish troops in Afghanistan. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Friday talks regarding Turkey's proposal to secure and operate the airport near the base are ongoing. They are not trying to meet any objectives here they are just going away as far as they can and that leads to the rise of ISIS right on the borders of countries we see as our close neighbors." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, "NATO forces have pulled out from Afghanistan in a hasty manner.
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"Their full withdrawal will pave the way for Afghans to decide about their future between themselves," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP. The Taliban said they "welcome and support" the US withdrawal from Bagram. In it, he painted a grim picture of the security situation in the country.Ĭiting numerous fallen districts, General Miller said, " a civil war is certainly a path that can be visualized if this continues on the trajectory it's on right now, that should be of concern to the world.'' US General Austin Scott Miller in Afghanistan Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. US General Austin Scott Miller gave his final press conference earlier this week.
The base was handed over to the Afghan National Defense and Security Force (ANDSF).Īfghan Defense Ministry spokesman, Fawad Aman, wrote in a tweet, "All Coalition and American troops have departed Bagram Air Base last night.
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