Did the Taliban return Bagram Air Base base in Afghanistan to the United States? No, that's not true: On April 8, 2025, the Pentagon refuted the claim, replying to Lead Stories' questions. Two AI detectors found a significant presence of generative AI in an article that started the rumor.
The claim originated from a story published on Medium on April 7, 2025, under the title:
The Taliban Hands Over Bagram Air Base to the United States.
It opened:
In a surprising development with significant geopolitical implications, the Afghan Taliban has reportedly handed over control of Bagram Air Base to the United States. Sources on the ground confirm that U.S. C-17 Globemaster aircraft have landed at the base, carrying military vehicles, equipment, and reportedly, senior intelligence personnel.According to unverified reports, one of the aircraft is believed to have transported the Deputy Chief of the CIA, underscoring the potential intelligence and strategic importance of this renewed presence at Bagram.
This is false. There are no US troops in Afghanistan.
Two AI detectors -- GPTZero (archived here) and QuillBot (archived here) -- showed that the initial story that spread on social media and beyond was likely generated by AI:
(Source: GPTZero screenshot by Lead Stories)
(Source: QuillBot screenshot by Lead Stories)
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