On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) acknowledged that U.S. forces left the strategic Bagram Airbase near Kabul without informing Afghan authorities in advance of the specific withdrawal time, attributing the decision to keep this timing confidential to security reasons. Afghan officials, including the new commander of the airbase, expressed dissatisfaction over not being informed beforehand about the exact time of the U.S. forces' departure, which occurred early on Friday morning.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby affirmed that Afghan military and political authorities were notified of the withdrawal timing two days prior to the event and that they had also been able to visit this vast military complex, which had been the backbone of international coalition operations in the country for the past two decades. During a press conference, Kirby stated that "the specific time of withdrawal was not disclosed for operational security reasons" and added, "In general, we considered it best to keep this information within as narrow a circle as possible."
While reiterating the need for the U.S. withdrawal to be conducted in a "safe and organized" manner, Kirby stressed the threat posed by the Taliban to U.S. forces. In response to a question about whether this intense caution reflects a lack of trust in Afghan partners, Kirby remarked, "I can't comment on how Afghans interpret this decision." He further stated that "this matter has nothing to do with whether we trust our Afghan partners or not. It means we have to consider that the Taliban could challenge this withdrawal." Kirby indicated that the transfer of control of Bagram Airbase from U.S. forces to their Afghan counterparts "occurred just as it did at the previous six bases we handed over."
