All United States military forces were removed, overnight, from Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, “effectively ending” the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan, though some American troops will stay in the country until September.
The New York Times reported that “American troops and their Western allies have departed Bagram, the last active airbase used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan, officials said on Friday.”
“American troops left the base on Thursday night, U.S. and Afghan officials said, even as the Taliban sweeps through the country’s northern provinces, capturing large swathes of territory,” the New York Times reported. “The closure, a symbol of the United States’ costly operations in Afghanistan, turned over to the Afghan government the sprawling installation from which the United States waged war for nearly two decades.”
President Joe Biden announced an end to the conflict in Afghanistan earlier this year, setting a timeline for a full withdrawal by September 11, 2021 — the twentieth anniversary of the September 11, 2021 terror attacks. The United States military, though, will not abruptly withdraw on a single date; the Times noted Friday that the first withdrawal — from Bagram AFB — will be followed closely by a troop exit, later in July.
September 11th is the final date on which the United States anticipates turning responsibility for maintaining peace in Afghanistan to the Afghani government. Around 650 troops will remain in Afghanistan until then to handle diplomatic security and 300 troops will stay in Afghanistan after the September 11th deadline in order to provide ongoing coverage of the American embassy there — a top target for the Taliban.
Biden administration officials are reportedly trying to send two separate messages. One, directed at the American people, is that the conflict in Afghanistan is finally ending after two decades. The other, directed at residents of Afghanistan, is that the United States is not fully abandoning the country, despite pulling out its military.
“Bagram Air Base, located just north of Kabul, was the heart of the U.S. operation in Afghanistan for nearly 20 years following the attack on Sept. 11, 2001, by Al Qaeda, which was based in the country,” Fox News added, confirming that the overnight pullout is meant to be both strategic and symbolic.
“European troops had largely pulled out months ahead of the U.S. departure from what was a stronghold in the war on terrorism,” the outlet added, noting that, at the end of June, American forces were already around “50% packed up.” “Italy and Germany declared their missions in Afghanistan complete Wednesday.”
“The Bagram Air Base will be taken over by Afghan forces to continue the fight against the Taliban,” Fox News said.
That charge may be trickier than the United States would like. Taliban fighters are reportedly “gaining ground” on Afghan troops, according to an earlier report from the Washington Post, and have staged a “dramatic surge” which “began in the north but rapidly spread to other regions. The defense forces have been unable to stem the offensive, and Afghan officials are concerned that the planned pullout of U.S. troops by September could leave the country dangerously vulnerable to a Taliban takeover.”