Bagram's giant junkyard

With the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre looming, the sprawling US military base of Bagram in Afghanistan is being cleared out and shut down for good.

After military and office paraphernalia has been transferred to the US or handed over to Afghan forces, what remains is being smashed up and left for trash.

Salvage and scrap experts have flocked to Bagram, where large companies have been awarded sought-after contracts. Cherry-picking anything deemed salvageable, the remaining crumbs of potential trade are left to small-scale outfits setting up workshops along the access road. These enterprising individuals are stripping cables for copper and breaking down circuit boards for rare earth metals and aluminium, to be melted down into ingots.

Although Bagram is a hive of activity, the sheer volume of the abandoned junk dismays those who are reaping the benefits.

Mir Salam: "Instead of destroying all these materials, they should have left them intact and given them to the public or the government. The government could make good use of it. If they had used it properly, then it could have rebuilt our country by now.”

Serving as the focal hub for the US military task force in Afghanistan, an urban development rapidly mushroomed around Bagram. While boasting an array of leisure amenities – from swimming pools, cinemas and shops to massage parlours, hairdressers and fast food outlets – the site also detained Taliban prisoners in its own purpose built, secure facility.

The complex provided much-needed employment for countless Afghan locals. An uncertain future hangs over the large community which has depended for so long on Bagram airbase.

Bagram District Governor Lalah Shrin Raoufi spoke out about his own fears.

Lalah Shrin Raoufi: "I am not optimistic with the US forces withdrawal at this crucial time, as a resident of Bagram. The US forces presence in Bagram district has provided jobs for many thousands of people. People get work and are busy there and can earn money to live." Weniger anzeigen