Taliban Leader Calls for Urgent Meeting in Response to Trump's Threats Regarding Bagram Base
According to exclusive sources reported by "Al Arabiya", Taliban leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, has called senior officials of the movement to an urgent meeting in Kandahar to discuss the recent American demands regarding the handover of Bagram Air Base, in response to statements and threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Sources reported that several senior officials have already traveled to Kandahar in the past two days, awaiting the meeting which is expected to take place in the coming days. The call for the meeting came in light of Trump's statements threatening that "bad things will happen" if Afghanistan does not comply with his country's demands.
Trump had spoken during his recent visit to Britain about negotiations with the Taliban regarding the base, stating: "Afghanistan wants things from the United States, and we want the base." These statements came after the Taliban's firm rejection of his demands.
Sources noted that the Taliban leader held several preparatory meetings in recent days with a limited number of senior officials, including Defense Minister Mullah Yaqub Mujahid, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and intelligence officials. During these meetings, they reaffirmed their rejection of any demands for the return of foreign troops to Afghanistan.
The sources clarified that the official statement from the Taliban, which was issued last Sunday in response to Trump, was based on the outcomes of that meeting, emphasizing that "the independence and sovereignty of Afghanistan are a top priority," reminding of the U.S. commitment during the Doha agreement not to use force or threats against Afghanistan.
For his part, the spokesman for the Taliban government, Zabihullah Mujahid, firmly rejected any agreement to hand over the base. In an interview with "Al Arabiya English", he stated: "Bagram Air Base is part of Afghan territory, no different from any other part of our land. We will never agree to any agreement or hand over any part of our territory. No Afghan will ever allow their land to be seized or placed under foreign control, not even an inch."
In his direct response to Trump's threat that "something bad" will happen to Afghanistan, Mujahid pointed out that the Afghan people "have already suffered something bad" for 20 years under American occupation.
