Bagram Air Base: Legacy of the War on Al-Qaeda and Holder of the Nuclear Secret

---

Bagram Air Base has reemerged in the spotlight after fading from view following the U.S. military withdrawal in the summer of 2021.

The base — which former President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded be reclaimed, while criticizing the withdrawal strategy of his predecessor Joe Biden — once served as a key hub for U.S. operations against Al-Qaeda. Yet, behind Trump’s calls, a “nuclear secret” appears to fuel his determination.

• UN Report: Al-Qaeda Allies with Taliban and Rebuilds Training Camps in Afghanistan

• Falsification of the reasons for the death of al-Zawahiri – Al-Qaeda’s Plot to Make Deals with the Taliban

Location

Bagram is located in Parwan Province, about 50 kilometers north of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital.

Origins

Built by the Soviet Union in the 1950s, it was the main Soviet military stronghold from 1979 to 1989.

Following the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Washington rebuilt and expanded Bagram into a major operational center against Al-Qaeda, the group responsible for the deadly strikes on New York and Washington.
Its surface area was expanded to 77 square kilometers, with the capacity to host 10,000 U.S. troops.

• A new Terrorist Era – How did the Taliban and Al-Qaeda lead Afghanistan to the abyss?

• Will the United States Redesignate the Taliban as a Terrorist Organization?

Facilities
According to Reuters, Bagram included:

• a large prison complex,
• a 3,660-meter runway for heavy cargo planes and bombers,
• 110 aircraft shelters fortified against explosions,
• three massive warehouses and a control tower,
• a military hospital equipped with advanced medical facilities,
• educational facilities for online study,
• restaurants, cafés, and local shops,
• gyms, a library, and a recreation center,
• storage depots for weapons, ammunition, and military vehicles.

• “The Messenger of Bin Laden”… A U.S. Intelligence Agency Reveals the Secret Behind the Fall of the Al-Qaeda Leader

• What Afghanistan has reaped after 3 years of Taliban rule

Past Attacks
Before the U.S. withdrawal, Taliban fighters repeatedly targeted the base. The deadliest attack occurred in 2016, when an infiltrator disguised as a worker detonated explosives inside, killing two U.S. soldiers and two contractors, and wounding 16 Americans and Poles.

Presidential Visits
Three U.S. presidents visited the base: George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.

Withdrawal
In July 2021, U.S. and NATO forces left Bagram.

• They evacuated the equivalent of 900 C-17 cargo planes,
• removed heavy weaponry,
• destroyed roughly 16,000 pieces of equipment, according to U.S. Central Command,
• left behind thousands of civilian vehicles, hundreds of military ones, and some small arms with ammunition.
  On July 2, 2021, the Pentagon formally handed the base over to Afghan forces.

• Report: Al-Qaeda reorganizes its ranks in Afghanistan through secret efforts… How? 

• Taliban Asks Washington to Return Afghan Assets worth billions of dollars

The “Nuclear Secret”
In March 2025, Donald Trump announced his plans to reclaim Bagram.
On September 18, he stated he sought to retake the base due to its strategic location near China.
He argued that one key reason was that “it is only an hour away from where China manufactures its missiles and nuclear weapons.”
On September 21, Trump warned Afghanistan of “serious consequences” should the base not be returned.

• Under the Taliban, will Afghanistan become a center of global terrorism again?

• By violating the international agreements… Will the Taliban lose its control over power in Afghanistan?