US troops vacate Afghan airbase after nearly 20 years
By Jordan Williams - 07/02/21 07:29 AM EDT
U.S. troops have vacated the Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan after nearly 20 years as a full withdrawal from the nation nears completion, according to multiple reports.
U.S. officials told The Associated Press that the airfield was handed over to the Afghan National Security and Defense Force.
However, one official told AP that Gen. Austin Miller, the U.S.’s top commander in Afghanistan, “still retains all the capabilities and authorities to protect the forces.”
Bagram was the U.S. and NATO’s biggest military facility in Afghanistan. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said last month that Bagram would be turned over as part of withdrawal, though he did not confirm the timing.
Zabiullah Mojahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban, told CNN that the withdrawal from Afghanistan is a “positive step.”
more
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/561283-us-troops-vacate-afghan-airbase-after-nearly-20-years-as-withdrawal-nears
