RASC News Agency: In response to reports of behind-the-scenes talks between former U.S. President Donald Trump and the Taliban regarding the possible reoccupation of the former U.S. military base at Bagram, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) has issued a stern warning, denouncing any backdoor agreements that disregard the base’s strategic and symbolic significance. Abdullah Khenjani, Chairman of the NRF’s Political Committee, called any such covert negotiation a grave error and a betrayal of those resisting Taliban rule. He stressed that Bagram is not merely a patch of land with military infrastructure it is a geopolitical linchpin situated in a predominantly Tajik-inhabited region, long associated with resistance against extremist groups.
“Bagram stands as a symbol of our nation’s defiance against tyranny. To negotiate its control directly with the Taliban, while bypassing the very Afghanistani forces that fought to preserve liberty and democracy, is a decision devoid of strategic foresight,” Khenjani stated in remarks shared with RASC and international media. He further emphasized that any U.S. return to Bagram must be executed through coordination with anti-Taliban forces, particularly the National Resistance Front, which comprises former officers and soldiers of the Afghanistan’s National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), many of whom received years of training and support from NATO allies.
“Afghanistan is no longer a sovereign space it is a battleground infiltrated by regional proxy networks and terrorist organizations openly hostile to the West. In this reality, a re-engagement strategy that excludes authentic Afghanistani allies on the ground is destined to fail,” Khenjani added. He urged Washington to revisit its post-withdrawal strategy, particularly under Trump’s renewed leadership, and to invest in strengthening democratic opposition forces rather than legitimizing a Taliban regime that has systematically dismantled civil rights, harbored extremist groups, and isolated Afghanistan from the international community.
“If President Trump genuinely intends to restore U.S. strategic leverage in the region through Bagram, he must reforge alliances with those who share America’s democratic values and military discipline. The Resistance Front remains ready and capable,” he declared. The NRF reiterated that it remains a committed, secular, and democratic actor, one that continues to advocate for inclusive governance and women’s rights while actively resisting Taliban authoritarianism. Khenjani warned that international recognition or engagement with the Taliban absent a counterbalancing force would embolden further human rights violations and deepen Afghanistan’s dependency on foreign autocracies.
The remarks came in the wake of Trump’s renewed claims that Bagram has fallen under Chinese influence a talking point he has invoked repeatedly to justify intentions of “reclaiming” the base. Trump has argued that strategic oversight of Bagram is critical not only for monitoring militant activity in Central and South Asia but also for checking Chinese expansionism in the region. Bagram Airfield, located in Parwan Province just 60 kilometers north of Kabul, was the nerve center of American military operations during the two-decade-long war in Afghanistan. Its historical significance is matched only by its strategic utility: it sits at a key junction between Kabul and northern provinces, many of which are bastions of anti-Taliban resistance.
During the height of the war, Bagram hosted thousands of international troops, intelligence operations, air logistics, and counterterror missions. Following the hasty U.S. withdrawal in August 2021, the base was left abandoned, prompting widespread criticism over its abrupt evacuation and the security vacuum that ensued. For many in the Resistance, Bagram is more than just a former U.S. outpost it is a potential gateway for rebuilding an international front against extremist control in Afghanistan. Khenjani concluded by stating: “Any future strategy involving Bagram must be forged with those who have paid the price of resistance not with those who handed the nation to chaos.”
