Afghanistan turns down air base proposal

Afghanistan should stand firm in rebuffing an attempt by the United States to reestablish a military base in the country, analysts said, adding the landlocked nation's future hinges on preventing fresh instability, maintaining good relations with all countries and realizing its potential as a hub of Eurasian connectivity.

The comments came after US President Donald Trump said last week that his administration was seeking to retake control of the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, in order to enable the US military to reestablish a strategic presence in the region.

Trump's call, four years after US troops' hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan following a two-decade war against the Taliban, has sparked outrage within Afghanistan as well as other countries in the region.