translated from Spanish: The U.S. left its main military installation in Afghanistan after two decades of war

The United States on Friday left Bagram Air Base, its main military installation in Afghanistan, in the hands of Afghan forces, a crucial step in the final phase of the withdrawal of international forces, as violence grows in the country. The fortified Bagram base, a symbol of U.S. military power in Afghanistan since the beginning of the military invasion in 2001, has been key to Washington’s strategy during two decades of conflict as the center of airstrikes against the Taliban.” All the coalition forces have already left Bagram, “confirmed to Efe a senior official of the US forces in Afghanistan on condition of anonymity, while Washington has not officially pronounced on the withdrawal. A spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense told Efe that “coalition and U.S. troops departed last night from Bagram Air Base” leaving the base in the hands of the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF). The takeover of the air base, located about 70 kilometers north of Kabul, is part of the transfer process agreed with the United States for the total withdrawal of international troops from the Asian country. While the troop evacuation process is expected to be completed in September, with an undetermined number of soldiers still in the country, the departure of the Americans from Bagram Airfield marks a historic moment for the end of an era. THE WITHDRAWAL According to plan, U.S. and NATO forces would hand over to Afghanistan all “transferable” military equipment and facilities ahead of the evacuation of their soldiers from the country, which began on May 1. U.S. and NATO forces have gradually handed over all their bases in the country, retaining for the end their main forts, the Bagram base, delivered today and, still pending, the Kabul base, which has served until now as a NATO base. In recent weeks, foreign forces have focused on training forces to fill “technical gaps,” particularly the Afghan Air Force, which has 163 military aircraft. U.S. air support in combating the armed insurgency has been key for pro-government forces in their attempt to push back the Taliban. The reduction in Coalition troops has coincided with an increase in Taliban offensives and their advance on the territories. Since the beginning of the withdrawal, insurgents have captured nearly 80 of the 407 districts from government forces. TALIBAN CELEBRATE DEPARTUREThe U.S. step was celebrated today by the Taliban, who called the departure “a good step” for peace in the country.” We believe that this is a good step for all Afghans and paves the way for establishing and maintaining peace. The departure of all foreign forces from the country is beneficial for both the United States and the Afghans, “he told Efe the main spokesman of the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid.” We welcome this decision,” he concluded. The exit from Afghanistan is a commitment by Washington following a negotiation process with the Taliban, agreed in February 2020 in Doha, in which the Americans assured that they would withdraw from Afghan territory as long as the Taliban committed not to allow any attacks against the US or any other country. The Taliban also pledged to begin a peace process in direct negotiations with the Kabul Government to find a political solution to the conflict. The intra-Afghan talks, which in fact began last September in Doha, stalled months ago without any progress, while on the ground the Taliban increased violence. The war in Afghanistan, the longest in US history, began in October 2001 with a mission to hunt down al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, the “mastermind” of the September 11 attacks of that year and who died in a US operation in Pakistan in 2011.

Original source in Spanish