Afghan troops struggle to replace Americans at key base

BAGRAM, Afghanistan: After American troops withdrew without notifying them, Afghan soldiers guarding the Bagram Air Base have been left with thousands of Taleban prisoners and a certainty that the enemy will attack. The sprawling military complex was at one point home to tens of thousands of US and allied soldiers, and one of the most important sites to prosecute the two-decade war in Afghanistan. But the last of the American soldiers quietly left the base last week, effectively completing their withdrawal from Afghanistan and leaving a massive security vacuum that the Afghan military will struggle to fill.

The new commander of the Bagram base, General Mirassadullah Kohistani, on Monday spoke candidly about the challenges ahead, as reporters were given a tour of the largely deserted base. “You know, if we compare ourselves with the Americans, it’s a big difference,” Kohistani said, admitting his forces could not be as “powerful” as the Americans. “But according to our capabilities... we are trying to do the best and as much as possible secure and serve all the people.”

The lack of a clear handover or transition plan appears to have made the task even more challenging. Kohistani said he only knew of the foreign forces’ exit after they had left. “We did not know of their timeline for departure. They did not tell us when they left.” Just 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Kabul, the base is key to the security of the capital while also providing strategic cover to much of the country’s rugged north where the Taleban have focused their recent offensives. —AFP