During a news conference in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer last week, Trump announced that his administration is trying to get the airfield in Afghanistan "back" from the Taliban.
The president criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for his disastrous handling of the U.S. withdrawal from the strategically located country four years ago. He says the U.S. wants the base back because the sprawling military facility is only an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.
"We're trying to get it back because they need things from us," the president said, warning that "bad things" would happen to Afghanistan if it does not relinquish control. He did not expand on to whom he was referring or what they "need" from the United States.
"Of course, the Chinese flew in there as we were leaving in 2021 and have invested heavily in Afghanistan," notes national defense analyst Bob Maginnis. "The Taliban have already declared there's no way they're going to bend to President Trump's request."
He does not think there is much Trump can do to persuade them.
"I'm very pessimistic," he admits. "I don't see how that can happen at this point. I know that it's probably worth a negotiation to find out what cost, but they've already publicly rejected any foreign military presence, and that's what we would want to put in Bagram – our military aircraft to monitor the Chinese."
"If you have an airfield, then you need a rescue capability in case you have a downed aircraft, so that means ground troops," Maginnis adds. "I just don't see the Taliban accepting that at this point."
On Sunday, chief Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected Trump's assertions and urged the U.S. to adopt a policy of "realism and rationality." The Islamic emirate has rejected Trump's bid.
Trump has declined to rule out sending in troops to retake it.
