Translated with AI
The Taliban have declared their readiness to resume using suicide bombings to defend their power following former US President Donald Trump's public demand to return Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan to Washington's control, Fergana.ru reported, citing Afghanistan International.
Trump made the corresponding statement on September 19 during his visit to London. The following day, the former head of the White House confirmed that the US would not rule out the use of force if the Afghan side refused to hand over control of the base. "If Afghanistan does not return Bagram Air Base to the people who built it, the United States of America, bad things will happen!!!" Trump wrote on the social media platform TruthSocial.
In response to Trump's statements, a Taliban-controlled television channel aired an audio clip of a statement by Tajmir Jawad, the group's deputy head of intelligence. Jawad, dubbed the "architect of suicide attacks" by the media, stated that the Taliban are prepared to use this method again to maintain control and expressed a willingness to "sacrifice ourselves piece by piece" for the movement's survival. He described his opponents as "infidels and occupiers."
The Taliban leadership called on the United States to demonstrate "realism and rationality," noting that the use of force could lead to an escalation of the conflict. The statement noted that, in accordance with the Doha Agreement, the United States committed not to use force against the territorial integrity of Afghanistan and not to interfere in the country's internal affairs.
Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Zakir Jalal emphasized that Kabul is ready to cooperate with the international community, but any US military presence in the country is ruled out and unacceptable.
Bagram Air Base is a strategic military airfield located 60 kilometers north of Kabul. It was built in the 1950s by the Soviet Union and used to house Soviet troops during the 1979–1989 war. Since 2001, the base has been under US control, vacating it in July 2021 during the withdrawal of foreign troops that culminated in the Taliban's rise to power. Trump justified his demand for the air base's return by citing the need to control the region and monitor China, whose border lies approximately 500 miles from Bagram.
