The Lingering Us Military Presence In Afghanistan: Examining The Remaining Bases

As of 2021, there are no longer any US military bases in Afghanistan. The US government has closed its military bases and officially removed its last troops from the country. However, it is important to note that the US has maintained a military and paramilitary presence in and around Afghanistan for over four decades. CIA personnel, military contractors, and special operations forces are still present in the country. Additionally, the US continues to carry out “over-the-horizon” attacks and surveillance missions into Afghanistan from bases outside the country.

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan

The withdrawal came about following a deal struck between the Trump administration and the Taliban, which set a deadline of May 1, 2021, for the removal of all US troops. Biden pushed this deadline back to September 11, 2021, and the last US service member left Afghanistan on August 30, 2021.

The exit was chaotic and deadly. More than 120,000 people were evacuated, and 13 US service members were killed in an attack at Kabul airport. The withdrawal also enabled the Taliban to regain control of the country, causing a refugee crisis as many Afghans fled.

The US State Department has since released a report detailing damning failings around the withdrawal, including that there was "insufficient senior-level consideration of worst-case scenarios". The report also noted that the speed of the US military's withdrawal "compounded the difficulties" faced by the State Department.

Despite the US troop withdrawal, a significant military and paramilitary presence will remain in and around Afghanistan. CIA personnel, military contractors, and special operations forces will persist in the war-torn nation. In addition, the US retains dozens of bases throughout the broader Middle East, which have played key roles in the war in Afghanistan.

The Taliban's plans for abandoned US bases

Afghanistan's Taliban government has revealed plans to convert abandoned US military bases into special economic zones for businesses. The pilot plan will start with bases in the capital city of Kabul and in the northern Balkh province.

The Taliban government intends to launch a "national self-sufficiency program" to boost the use of domestic products. Acting deputy prime minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said:

> Following a thorough discussion, it was decided that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce should progressively take control of the remaining military bases of the foreign forces with the intention of converting them into special economic zones.

The Taliban say they remain committed to boosting the economy through trade and investment. However, foreign investors are anxious about establishing trade relationships after a series of attacks in the country.

There are hundreds of foreign bases in Afghanistan, including approximately 700 bases of every size at one point in time. While many fell out of use, Western troops abandoned numerous fully functioning bases during the 2021 exit.

The CIA's continued presence in Afghanistan

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the CIA's Operation Cyclone financed and supplied weapons to the anti-communist mujahideen guerrillas in Afghanistan. This operation was one of the longest and most expensive in CIA history, costing $630 million during the fiscal year ending in October 1987.

The CIA also played a key role in the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan, which was planned by the CIA's Counterterrorist Center. During the invasion, CIA officers from the Special Activities Division worked with US Special Operations Command special forces and the Northern Alliance to overthrow the Taliban.

More recently, the CIA has continued to monitor the Taliban and developments in Afghanistan, although under much more difficult circumstances following the US military withdrawal. CIA Director William Burns has stated that the CIA will "retain a suite of capabilities" in Afghanistan, but that the US government's ability to collect and act on threats will diminish with the military withdrawal.

The CIA's presence in Afghanistan is dependent on the large US military presence in the country, and with the withdrawal of US troops, intelligence gathering has become significantly more difficult and dangerous. The CIA is now limited to operating out of Kabul, and any attempt to operate outside the capital will be dramatically riskier.

Despite the challenges, the CIA is still working to protect its Afghan assets and help them resettle in the United States. The agency has been heavily involved in the push to protect its local spies, who now face the possibility of deadly reprisals from the Taliban.

The history of Bagram Air Base

Bagram Air Base, formerly the largest US military base in Afghanistan, is located 11 kilometres southeast of Charikar in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan. The base sits at an elevation of 1,492 metres above sea level and has two concrete runways capable of handling large military aircraft. The base was staffed by the US Air Force and rotating units of US and coalition forces.

In the 1950s, the Bagram airfield was originally built by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In 1976, the original 3,000-metre-long runway was built, and the airport was maintained by the Afghan Air Force with some support from the US. During the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s, it served as a hub for Soviet forces and a base for its troops and supplies.

Following the Soviet withdrawal and the rise of the mujahideen rebels, control of the base was contested between the Northern Alliance and the Taliban. In 2000, the Taliban took control of the base, but it was later secured by US and UK forces during the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001. The base played a crucial role in the US-led war effort, housing tens of thousands of US and NATO troops and serving as a launchpad for American fighter planes.

The base included numerous dining facilities, such as Pizza Hut and Subway, and commercial shops selling goods ranging from clothes to food. It also featured a 50-bed hospital and a modern dental clinic.

In 2009, the US completed the construction of the Parwan Detention Facility at Bagram, which became the main detention centre for persons detained by US forces in Afghanistan. The facility was criticised by human rights groups for alleged prisoner abuse and torture.

On July 1, 2021, US forces abandoned the Bagram Air Base, marking a significant milestone in the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The base was handed over to Afghan forces, but it fell to the Taliban on August 15, 2021, less than two months after the US withdrawal. The fall of Bagram Air Base signalled the end of the US presence in Afghanistan and the return of Taliban rule.

The US military presence in the Middle East

In 2023, amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hamas, the US bolstered its military presence in the Middle East. This move was intended to deter a wider war by sending a message to Hezbollah and to protect US personnel and bases in the region. The US deployed additional naval and air assets to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea, including aircraft carriers, missile destroyers, and a nuclear-powered submarine. At the time, there were about 45,000 US service members and contractors stationed in the Middle East, with the majority in Kuwait.

The US has several military bases across the Middle East, including in Turkey, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. These bases serve various purposes, such as counterterrorism operations, intelligence gathering, and supporting allied forces. For example, the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is the largest US military base in the Middle East, with a capacity for 10,000 military personnel and hosting the US Air Forces Central Command.

The US military presence in Afghanistan, specifically, ended in August 2021, when the US withdrew its last troops from the country after nearly 20 years. However, the US maintains a military presence in the broader Middle East region, with thousands of troops and multiple bases across various countries.

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