Retaking Bagram Airfield: A Display of Power or Political Leverage?
(Translated)

News:

From the outset of his election campaign, Donald Trump asserted that, if victorious in the 2024 US presidential election, he would reclaim control of Bagram Airfield from the Taliban. He cited monitoring China as the primary objective of this move. Following his electoral success, he reiterated this stance multiple times, emphasizing the strategic significance of this base in northern Kabul.

Comment:

A defining trait of the Republican Party is its emphasis on American pride. Donald Trump manifests this pride in an assertive and often domineering manner, presenting himself as a global power broker. This approach is evident in numerous statements he has made—whether regarding the reclamation of the Panama Canal, the proposed purchase of Greenland from Denmark, or even the idea of annexing Canada to the United States. Now, Bagram is being framed within this same narrative, as though Trump perceives the Taliban as illegitimate occupiers of the airbase and seeks to reclaim it.

Trump employs such rhetoric not only in foreign policy but also in domestic politics, leveraging it to galvanize American nationalists and his Republican base. Many within this group firmly believe that the military strength of the United States should not wane. Raising issues such as Bagram resonates with them as a symbolic return to an era of American supremacy and global influence.

Furthermore, Trump utilizes this discourse as a political tool to undermine the Democratic Party and Joe Biden. He portrays the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan and the relinquishment of Bagram as evidence of Democratic weakness, seeking to turn this issue into a political liability for his rivals. His argument suggests that had it not been for Democratic leadership, the base would still be under American control.

At the same time, Trump’s mention of retaking Bagram Airfield appears to serve a broader purpose—instilling apprehension in China and Russia. However, the primary target of this rhetoric remains the Taliban. While U.S. engagement with the Taliban will likely persist, it will be accompanied by a policy of pressure rather than accommodation. The reference to Bagram, alongside threats such as cutting financial aid, is part of a broader strategy aimed at coercing the Taliban into aligning with U.S. interests and accepting the global order envisioned by Washington. By making such declarations, Trump seeks to assert that the United States retains the capability to exert influence over Afghanistan and apply pressure on the Taliban whenever deemed necessary.

In reality, Muslims are entrusted with the mission of establishing Islam as the dominant ideological framework to guide humanity in accordance with Divine Revelation. However, the Muslim Ummah has regrettably deviated from this fundamental duty, allowing a vacuum in which capitalism as an flawed ideology has flourished, along with the rise of figures such as Trump. This has led to a situation where, without exception, the rulers of Muslim-majority nations shape their policies in alignment with his directives. This status quo, advocates argue, can only be reversed through the establishment of the Khilafah Rashidah (Righteous Caliphate), which would restore the Muslim world’s lost honor and elevate it to a position of global leadership. Unlike the existing colonial-influenced systems, which are seen as sources of corruption and turmoil, the Caliphate is envisioned as a governance model that would bring justice and harmony to humanity, safeguarding people, nature, and all elements of existence from the perceived destructive impact of capitalism.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Yusof Arsalan
Member of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Afghanistan