In shadow of abandoned US airbase, Bagram’s economy withers

Bagram, Afghanistan (AFP):

For years, the sprawling military base at Bagram, just north of Kabul, was a potent symbol of the United States’ two decades of war in Afghanistan. But weeks before Washington officially ended its military presence in Afghanistan last August, US troops left the airbase in the dead of night.

Today, the military base is occupied by the Taliban, who took over the country in a swift offensive as US forces were exiting. The US departure from Bagram has also seen the collapse of the economy in the nearby town of the same name, an illustration of how Afghanistan’s fortunes were so heavily tied to the war and foreign aid.

Nowhere is the town’s economic collapse more evident than in the main market. It is marked by rows of shuttered shops and warehouses, and those that remain open have seen sales plummet.

At the peak of the US invasion, Bagram was home to tens of thousands of troops and contractors, with the town serving as a hub for tons of supplies that would service the base.

When the US military pulled out, it took much of its military hardware home, but tons of civilian equipment was left behind. For several months, the town managed to thrive on a booming scrap business, but residents say that now that, too, is dying.

Many who had worked at the base have also fled the country, fearing reprisals from the Taliban.