Last US and Nato forces leave key Afghanistan base

 

Afghanistan 

U.S defense officials in Afghanistan say the last U.S and Nato troops have now left Bagram that is the linchpin of U.S led operations throughout the two decades of military engagement in the country. A ceremony at the air base to mark the formal handover will take place on Saturday president bidden has promised that all American troops will leave Afghanistan by September the 11th well we can cross live now to join invite lamia who is in Kabul fajita give me some sense of the feelings the reaction of afghan people to the news that Bagram has now been exited by all U.S and Nato forces well this is a vital moment in the end of international military operations in Afghanistan and so everyone in this country knows that the withdrawal that U.S president joe bidden announced is very near the Bagram air base is about 30 miles north of Kabul where I am it's been a symbol of America’s military might in this country.   U.S forces moved into the airfield in December 2001 and at the peak of the U.S led war in this country there were thousands of international troops stationed there and today you know all of them leaving you know as I said a very significant moment a bustling city had grown around this this airbase um and you know so you know the significance really that the end of uh international military engagement in this country is very close now fajita uh the Taliban have issued a statement welcoming the news of the last U.S forces leaving but i would imagine that the afghan government is feeling a little less positive any reaction from them well we haven't had a formal reaction from the afghan government to the development today we do uh know from uh president Ashraf Ghana’s office that he met with the U.S top commander in this country general Scott miller today uh the president's office has said that they discussed uh continued U.S cooperation and assistance to Afghanistan and the new way forward you know again we're not sure when exactly general Scott miller will be here in Afghanistan till what we've had officially from the U.S military is that he retains the authority to protect forces here is there a fear yogis that the Taliban’s military operations will be intensified that the war that is still the reality for afghan people could get worse now well it is already been worse in the past you know a couple of months violence has escalated in this country uh we know that the Taliban is fighting afghan government forces in as many as 20 of these countries 34 provinces hundreds are dying every week thousands are getting displaced you know and trying to move to places of safety people are worried about what's going to happen once all international troops leave from here uh you know they're worried about a civil war breaking out not just between afghan government forces and the Taliban but also you know lots of other small tribal independent groups which also have militaries you know which might start fighting as well um so yes you know a lot of worry here when you speak to ordinary people about what is coming in the next few months cogitate thank you very much indeed for joining us from Kabul.