Airfield ransacked by looters as US abandons base after 20 years

THE US military has left Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years, the epicentre of its war to oust the Taliban and hunt down the alQaida perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America.

The airfield was handed over to the Afghan National Security and Defence Force in its entirety.

The US top commander in Afghanistan, General Austin S Miller, met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani yesterday and, according to a Dari-language tweet by the presidential palace, the two discussed “continued US assistance and co-operation with Afghanistan, particularly in supporting the defence and security forces”.

The US is already committed to paying nearly $4 billion (£2.9 billion) annually until 2024 to finance the Afghani national security forces.

While no one was calling Gen Miller’s visit a farewell, in the backdrop of the evacuation of Bagram Airfield it had the hallmarks of a goodbye.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s district administrator for Bagram, Darwaish Raufi, said the American departure took place overnight without any co-ordination with local officials, and as a result early yesterday dozens of looters stormed through the unprotected gates before Afghan forces regained control.

“They were stopped and some have been arrested and the rest have been cleared from the base,” Raufi told the Associated Press, adding that the looters ransacked several buildings before being arrested and the Afghan National Security and Defence Force took control.

“Unfortunately the Americans left without any co-ordination with Bagram district officials or the governor’s office,” Raufi said.

“Right now our Afghan security forces are in control both inside and outside of the base.”

The deputy spokesman for the defence minister, Fawad Aman, said nothing of the early-morning looting.

He said only that the base has been handed over and the “ANDSF will protect the base and use it to combat terrorism”.

The Taliban too welcomed the American withdrawal from Bagram Airfield. In a tweet by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, they called it a “positive step,” urging for the “withdrawal of foreign forces from all parts of the country”.

The previous US administration had signed an agreement with the Taliban promising to withdraw all troops.

The withdrawal from Bagram Airfield is the clearest indication that the last of the 2,500-3,500 US troops have left Afghanistan or are nearing a departure, months ahead of US president Joe Biden’s promise that they would be gone by September 11.

It was clear soon after the midApril announcement that the US was ending its “forever war”, that the departure of US soldiers and their estimated 7,000 Nato allies would be nearer to July 4.

Most Nato soldiers have already quietly exited as of this week. Announcements from several countries show that a majority of European troops has now left with little ceremony – a stark contrast to the dramatic and public show of force and unity when Nato allies lined up to back the US invasion in 2001.

The US has refused to say when the last US soldier would leave Afghanistan, citing security concerns. The US will leave about 650 troops in Afghanistan to protect its sprawling embassy in the capital.

Unfortunately the Americans left without any co-ordination. Afghanistan’s district administrator for Bagram, Darwaish Raufi.