Why U.S want Bagram Airbase Afghanistan?

Newsaq

Why does the U.S. want Bagram Airbase back in Afghanistan? From strategic location to countering rivals,  intelligence operations, and power projection, this video explores the 10 key reasons behind America’s renewed interest.  Discover the geopolitical stakes, military strategy, and human impact of this historic airbase in under 10 minutes.

Transcript

00:00the afghan night sky was pierced by roaring jets floodlights illuminating endless hangers

00:11and the whispers of soldiers who once called this base home

00:14bagram air base was not just a military installation it was the beating heart of

00:20america's longest war when the u.s withdrew in 2021 it left behind broken promises abandoned

00:28allies and a vacuum quickly filled by rivals now whispers are growing louder america wants bagram

00:36back but why what makes this stretch of land in afghanistan so crucial that the world's superpower

00:44cannot ignore it here are the 10 reasons to hold the bagram airbase by u.s strategic location at the

00:52heart of asia bagram lies just 40 miles north of kabul yet its reach is global from here the u.s

01:01military can touch china's western frontier iran's eastern borders and even russia's central asian

01:07periphery no other base in the region offers such a perfect vantage point it's not only about

01:15geography it's about leverage whoever controls bagram controls the pulse of central and south asia

01:22countering china's growing influence china has wasted no time expanding in afghanistan

01:30with promises of mining contracts road projects and even whispers of security cooperation beijing is

01:37filling the void left by washington for the u.s letting china entrench itself unchallenged in

01:44afghanistan is a strategic nightmare reclaiming bagram would be america's direct answer a reminder that

01:51the dragon's march can still be slowed watching over iran iran lies barely 600 miles away from bagram

02:01u.s bombers or drones could reach iranian nuclear sites in hours with tensions rising over tehran's

02:08uranium enrichment program the ability to project force so close to iran is invaluable bagram would

02:15serve as both a sword and a shield a launch path for deterrence and a constant warning to tehran that

02:21washington's hand is never too far pressure on russia russia's invasion of ukraine has absorbed much of

02:29its strength but moscow still sees central asia as its backyard bagram puts u.s boots back on russia's

02:36doorstep signaling to the kremlin that its dominance in former soviet republics is not absolute in

02:43geopolitics perception matters a functioning u.s base in afghanistan would be a chess move moscow could not

02:51ignore fighting terror groups isis al-faida and other militant outfits have flourished since the

02:59taliban takeover the deadly kabul airport attack in 2021 showed how dangerous these groups remain

03:07for the u.s bagram provides a secure fortress to conduct drone strikes special operations and

03:14intelligence missions without it washington operates from distant bases in qatar or the uae

03:21hours away with bagram reaction time shrinks dramatically protecting u.s interests in the gulf

03:29the persian gulf carries nearly 30 percent of the world's oil shipments america's bases in bahreen

03:37qatar and kuvvet safeguard these routes but a backup hub in afghanistan ensures flexibility if gulf tensions

03:46escalate bagram acts as an insurance policy giving the u.s multiple options to secure energy flows and

03:53protect allies like saudi arabia and the uae influence over pakistan's nuclear corridor

04:00pakistan is both a partner and a puzzle for washington its nuclear program remains a concern

04:08and its proximity to india makes it a flashpoint from bagram u.s intelligence assets can watch over

04:15south asia's most sensitive military corridors it is less about attacking and more about awareness

04:22keeping a watchful eye on one of the world's most volatile nuclear regions supporting allies in the

04:29region india washington's ally against china views afghanistan as part of its strategic depth against

04:37both pakistan and china as u.s returns to bagram would reassure new delhi that washington is committed

04:44to balancing power in the region for smaller central asian nations like tajikistan and uzbekistan

04:51it would also signal that america has not abandoned its role as a stabilizing force

04:56intelligence and surveillance superiority in modern warfare intelligence is everything

05:03bagram's airstrips once launched high altitude surveillance aircraft drones and spy missions

05:10its command centers intercepted communications across thousands of miles

05:15since leaving washington has been flying blind in a region teaming with rival powers

05:21re-establishing bagram would restore this lost advantage giving the u.s eyes and ears in a

05:28neighborhood where every move counts symbol of u.s power projection above all bagram is symbolic

05:36the u.s withdrawal in 2021 was seen globally as a defeat returning would send a message not just to

05:45afghans but to the world that america still writes the rules of power in asia it is not about nostalgia

05:52it is about prestige credibility and reminding both friends and foes that the u.s military footprint

05:59is far from erased but here's the truth bagram is not just runways and hangers it is a graveyard of

06:06memories afghan families recall drone strikes raids and endless nights of fear american veterans

06:14remember comrades who never made it home for afghans its return could mean renewed foreign presence for

06:21americans it could reopen old wounds of a war that ended without victory yet in the cold game of

06:28geopolitics emotions rarely win superpowers do not seek closure they seek advantage if the u.s reclaims

06:37bagram it will not only reshape the balance of power in asia it will also reignite debates of justice

06:44sovereignty and the true cost of war and the world will once again look at afghanistan not as a nation

06:51of people but as the prize in a never-ending struggle between empires if you found this

06:57analysis insightful make sure to like and subscribe our channel for updates on global geopolitics and military

07:03strategy

07:09you

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