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Pentagon says Bagram withdrawal was discussed with Afghan leaders
Dispelling reports that the Afghan leadership had not been informed about the final withdrawal of US troops from Bagram Airfield last week, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said there had been coordination with Afghan leaders, both in government as well as in the Afghan security forces, about the eventual turnover of the base.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Kirby said: “As you know, it was the seventh and the final base that we turned over to the Afghan National Security Forces. You don’t do that in a vacuum and this wasn’t done in a vacuum.
“I can’t speak for the level of information that went down the Afghan chain of command but I can tell you that Afghan leaders, civilian and military, were appropriately coordinated with and briefed about the turnover of Bagram Air Base.
“The specific conversation and coordination about the turnover of Bagram, the final conversations occurred about 48 hours prior.”
He said however that “obviously, for operational security reasons, we didn’t go into the exact hour at which all U.S. forces would leave Bagram.”
This comes after reports emerged this week that the U.S. forces flew out of Bagram in the early hours of Saturday morning after switching off the lights and not informing anyone.
A walkthrough of the base on Monday showed the deserted facility littered with discarded equipment including hundreds of civilian and armored vehicles.
Kirby stated however that due to security concerns U.S. forces are taking precautions. “We have had to operate under the assumption that this drawdown could be contested at any time. And so we’re very careful about what we say and how — how much detail we provide out there, but there was coordination.”
He also said “it’s not like the closure or the turnover of Bagram was at — at all in dispute throughout this drawdown process. Everybody knew that was happening and — and there was general understanding about roughly when. Again, as we got closer, more detail was provided to — to Afghan leaders.
He acknowledged that there had been some vehicles left behind and some turned over to Afghan officials.
“Our commitment to the future of a stable and secure Afghanistan has not changed. It’s just going to look different. We’re just not going to be on the ground the way we are now,” he said.
On the issue of over-the-horizon counterterrorism, Kirby said “it’s difficult but it’s doable”.
He told members of the press “I don’t have a breakdown for you right now what that’s going to look like. But, again, it’s important to remember we already have an over-the-horizon counterterrorism capability that the — a carrier strike group in the region, we’ve got facilities throughout the Middle East that have and will continue to be of value in this regard so we have that capability”.
Kirby also said many of the contractors are still in Afghanistan and providing ongoing support to the Afghans and the Afghan Air Force.
“We are actively working on ways in which that contract support can be done remotely or virtually or even physically outside the country,” he said.
Turkish intelligence agents have captured a senior member of Daesh near the Durand Line, reportedly preventing planned suicide attacks in Turkey and other countries, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency on Monday.
The suspect, identified as Mehmet Goren, is a Turkish citizen. He was apprehended during a covert operation and transferred to Turkey. Details on the timing of the operation or the involvement of Afghan and Pakistani authorities were not disclosed.
According to the report, Goren had risen through the ranks of Daesh and was allegedly tasked with carrying out suicide bombings in Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Europe.
Daesh has a history of deadly attacks in Turkey, including the January 1, 2017 shooting at an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people.
Anadolu Agency reported that Goren’s arrest also provided intelligence on the group’s recruitment strategies and planned activities.
Dozens of needy families in Kabul’s fifth district have received essential winter assistance from the Bayat Foundation, as part of ongoing efforts to ease hardship during the cold season and worsening economic conditions.
According to foundation officials, the aid package includes staple food items such as flour, rice, and cooking oil, along with warm blankets to help families cope with freezing temperatures. Haji Mohammad Ismail, Deputy Head of Bayat Foundation, said the distribution began in Kabul and will soon be expanded to other provinces.
“Our assistance includes flour, rice, cooking oil, and blankets,” Ismail said. “Today, we started distributing these items in Kabul’s fifth district, and God willing, the aid will reach other provinces in the near future.”
Afghanistan continues to face widespread poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity, with many families struggling to meet basic needs, particularly during winter when access to work and heating becomes more difficult.Humanitarian organizations and charitable foundations have stepped up relief efforts to support those most affected.
Beneficiaries welcomed the assistance, describing it as a lifeline. “May God bless you for helping the poor. We had nothing and no work,” said one recipient. Another added, “Thank you for your help. Our flour was almost finished.”
Bayat Foundation officials stressed that winter aid distributions will continue in Kabul and other provinces in the coming days, as part of their broader commitment to supporting needy families across the country.
Since the Islamic Emirate came to power, approximately 6.8 million Afghans have returned home, either voluntarily or forcibly, from neighboring countries and other nations, according to the Minister of Refugees and Repatriation.
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, speaking at a meeting on finalizing a draft plan for a permanent migration solution in Afghanistan, added that 1.3 million Afghans have been internally displaced due to natural disasters during the same period.
With winter approaching, widespread poverty and severe cold are threatening thousands of lives. Meanwhile, the forced expulsion of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan, continues.
The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly urged neighboring states to allow migrants to return voluntarily. According to UNHCR, over two million Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan since the start of 2025.
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