Troops Abandon Base Without Warning, Leaving Afghan Allies in the Dark
The US military’s hasty departure from Bagram airbase has sparked widespread anger in Afghanistan, as US troops slipped away in the dead of night without notifying their Afghan counterparts. The base, crucial to Kabul’s security, was left in disarray and plunged into darkness, allowing looters to ransack the site.
The abrupt exit, which occurred after two decades of US presence at Bagram, infuriated Afghan officials, who viewed the departure as part of a broader withdrawal that seemed designed to meet an American political timeline, without regard for the rapidly deteriorating security situation.
“We were not consulted about the Americans coming here, and we were not consulted about their departure,” said one senior Afghan official. The US troops left Bagram around 3 a.m., leaving behind their Afghan allies unaware and unprepared.
General Mir Asadullah Kohistani, the new commander of Bagram, discovered hours after the departure that the Americans had vacated the base. He remarked that the decision to leave without proper communication felt like a betrayal. “We heard rumors they had left,” said Kohistani. “We did not know their timeline for departure.”
As US forces exit, the Taliban has gained significant ground, now holding nearly half of Afghanistan’s districts. Despite the US withdrawal, the country faces a growing crisis, with many fearing a return to Taliban rule.
