KABUL: The Spokesman of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Zabihullah Mujahid has said that we consider evacuation of all United States forces from Bagram a positive step and seek withdrawal of foreign forces from all parts of the country.
In a statement issued on twitter on Friday, Zabihullah Mujahid said that such is in the interest of both them and Afghans. He said that Afghans can move closer to peace and security with complete withdrawal of foreign forces.
“We consider evacuation of all US forces from #Bagram a positive step & seek withdrawal of foreign forces from all parts of the country. Such is in the interest of both them & Afghans.
Afghans can move closer to peace & security with complete withdrawal of foreign forces” Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted.
Meanwhile an important member of the Taliban negotiation team in Doha, Sohail Shaheen while responding the questions regarding evacuation Bagram Airbase by American forces has said that we welcome foreign forces leaving Bagram Airbase.
In a statement, Sohail Shaheen said that the occupation brought destruction and bloodshed to our people and country and deprived us of our independence. It was not in the interest of USA either.
He said that the Afghans are happy seeing that the main factor of the war is coming to an end. We earnestly hope this will usher in a new phase of peace and prosperity for the Afghans. But it is on the Afghans to come together around their shared Islamic and national values and make a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan, Sohail Shaheen said.
It is worth mentioning here that Bagram Airfield-BAF also known as Bagram Air Base was the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan. It is located next to the ancient city of Bagram, 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) southeast of Charikar in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan.
It has a single runway capable of handling large military aircraft, including the Lockheed Martin C-5 Galaxy and Antonov An-225. It was staffed by the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing of the U.S. Air Force, along with rotating units of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard. In addition, the U.S. government regional platform for the east is at the base, staffed by civilians.
The airport at Bagram was originally built in the 1950s, during the Cold War, at a time when the United States and the neighboring Soviet Union were busy spreading influence in Afghanistan. While the United States was focusing on Afghanistan, the Soviets were busy with the Island of Cuba and Fidel Castro. In 1959, a year after Afghan Prime Minister Daud Khan toured the United States, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower landed at Bagram Airfield where he was greeted by King Zahir Shah and Daoud Khan among other Afghan officials.
The original runway, 10,000 feet long, was built in 1976. The airport at Bagram was maintained by the Afghan Air Force (AAF) with some support from the United States. During the 1980s Soviet–Afghan War, it played a key role, serving as a base of operations for troops and supplies. Bagram was also the initial staging point for the invading Soviet forces at the beginning of the conflict, with elements of two Soviet Airborne Troops’ divisions being deployed there. Aircraft based at Bagram, including the 368th Assault Aviation Regiment flying Su-25s, provided close air support for Soviet and Afghan troops in the field. The 368th Assault Aviation Regiment was stationed at Bagram from October 1986 to November 1987.