Under the title "The End of America's Longest Wars Abroad... and the Taliban is Monitoring the Situation," Sky News reported that after nearly 20 years, the U.S. military has left Bagram Air Base, the center of its war to oust the Taliban and hunt for those responsible for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America. This information was shared by two unnamed U.S. officials on Friday, who are not authorized to communicate with the media. They stated that the airbase was fully handed over to Afghan National Security and Defense Forces.
One official further noted that the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General Austin Miller, "still retains all capabilities and authority to protect the forces." The withdrawal from Bagram Air Base is the clearest indication that the last American soldier among 2,500 to 3,500 has either left or is nearing departure from Afghanistan, months before President Joe Biden's promise to withdraw them by September 11.
It became evident shortly after the mid-April announcement that the U.S. would end its "forever war" that the departure of American and NATO allies, estimated to be around 7,000 troops, would occur closer to July 4, when America celebrates its Independence Day. Most NATO troops have already quietly departed starting this week.
Announcements from multiple nations, analyzed by the Associated Press, indicate that the majority of European forces have now left with minimal ceremonies— a stark contrast to the dramatic and public display of force and unity when NATO allies lined up to support the U.S. invasion in 2001. The United States declined to specify the departure date of the last American soldier from Afghanistan, citing security concerns, but negotiations are still ongoing regarding the protection of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
Currently, Turkish and American soldiers are protecting the airport, with this protection encompassing the Resolute Support Mission, which is being concluded. The closing of Bagram Air Base, located 40 miles north of Kabul, ends the U.S. military presence at Afghanistan's most vital airbase. The base had been frequently used to carry out airstrikes against the Taliban and other militant groups in the ongoing 20-year Afghan war, with control of the base set to be handed over to the Afghan Ministry of Defense.
Earlier, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that the Afghan government "could collapse within six months of the completion of the U.S. military withdrawal" from the country, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing officials familiar with the new assessment. U.S. intelligence agencies have revised their previous, more optimistic estimates, as the Taliban has been taking control of areas in northern Afghanistan and seizing dozens of districts and major cities surrounding it.
