It is ironic that Afghanistan, once considered a "strategic burden" by Trump, has recently become the target of his attention. He wants to reclaim the Bagram Airfield, but the latter has clearly refused, and Trump has not ruled out the possibility of "military action." Some U.S. officials have assessed that if Trump were to take military action, it would at least require the deployment of 10,000 troops. Others have warned Trump: even if Afghanistan agrees to allow you in, don't be too hasty. Once you enter this base, you will become someone else's "hostage" and "living target."

Trump once looked down on Afghanistan, now he suddenly targets it

Recently, it's unclear what's going through Trump's mind, but he suddenly targeted Afghanistan again. He has been continuously speaking out, demanding the Bagram Airfield from Afghanistan. Trump has also been criticizing Biden for abandoning the base when he withdrew from Afghanistan, calling it a disastrous decision.

However, this sounds like a satire to the outside world because Trump was the one who shouted the loudest about withdrawing from Afghanistan. When Trump first ran for president in 2016, he incessantly criticized the Afghan war launched by Bush, claiming it wasted a lot of American time and money. He also promised his supporters that once he became president, he would withdraw from there and end this endless waste of American money.

At the beginning of his term, influenced by his advisors, Trump once changed his mind, not only did he not withdraw, but he actually increased the number of troops in Afghanistan. However, later on, Trump could not bear it and started negotiating with the Taliban in 2020 to withdraw from Afghanistan. When Biden withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, Trump repeatedly stated that the withdrawal process began during his term. Initially, Trump cried and screamed to leave, now he wants the U.S. military to return for the Bagram base, which is truly ironic.

Regarding Trump's demands, the Taliban directly refused. They are willing to talk about improving relations, but they won't open the door for the base. On September 21, the Afghan defense minister directly stated: agreements involving Afghan land cannot be negotiated; they will not give up an inch of their territory.

However, Trump also threatened during an interview: if Afghanistan refuses, the consequences will be severe. At the same time, he hinted that he would not rule out sending the U.S. military again to retake the airfield.

The Bagram Airfield is the largest airfield in Afghanistan

Reuters reported that Trump's remarks have sparked widespread doubts within the U.S. government. A current official said that considering "military action," although the target is just the Bagram Airfield, due to the strong resistance from Afghans, this would be equivalent to a large-scale military invasion. The U.S. military would need to deploy more than 10,000 soldiers, as well as transport and deploy advanced air defense systems.

It is worth noting that the current Afghanistan is completely different from Afghanistan in 2001. When Bush started the war, the Taliban had not yet unified the entire country, and the Northern Alliance could cooperate with the U.S. ground operations. Now, the Taliban has unified the entire country. Even if the U.S. military's goal is only to seize the base, Afghanistan will certainly mobilize the entire nation to resist, launching continuous attacks on the U.S. military. In that case, the U.S. military's operational costs will be unimaginable. In the cycle of attacks, Trump will face two choices: either to do nothing and leave in disgrace, or to increase resource investment and expand the conflict.

Experts also say that even if the Taliban allows the U.S. military to enter the Bagram Airfield, Trump should think carefully. Because once inside, they will immediately be exposed to multiple threats. There will be endless troubles in the future, and they may even become "hostages" and "targets."

First, Al-Qaeda and ISIS, which are active in Afghanistan, will launch continuous attacks on the U.S. military base. At that time, Trump may have to increase investments, and even consider starting another "war on terror."

Someone warns Trump: once the U.S. military enters, it becomes a "target"

Secondly, this base is within the coverage of Iran's missiles. Once the U.S. military occupies it, they will become a "target" and "hostage" of Iran's missiles. When conflicts break out again in the Middle East, this base might suffer similar to the Al-Udeid Military Base!

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7552717467761361434/

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