McCaul: Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan’s Rare Earth Minerals ‘Will Be Taken over by China’

On Monday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “Evening Edit,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) predicted that Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan “will be taken over by China,” and that China will also scoop up the large amounts of rare earth minerals that are located in Afghanistan. McCaul also argued that the most important thing is that the botched Afghanistan exit constituted “a turning point” in United States foreign policy that has emboldened American adversaries to act more aggressively and that there is a “direct cause and effect” between the events in Afghanistan and Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and Xi Jinping’s increased aggression towards Taiwan.

Host Elizabeth MacDonald asked, [relevant remarks begin around 4:45] “And we surrendered so much in the way of military assets, right, including Bagram Air Base, final word?”

McCaul responded, “The final word is, Bagram Air Base will be taken over by China, as well the rare earth minerals. 99% of our intelligence is gone. Most importantly, a turning point in our American foreign policy to embolden our adversaries like Russia and China. As you see Putin involved — invade Ukraine and Xi is looking at Taiwan, direct cause and effect, Liz.”

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