KABUL, Afghanistan -- The United States has closed at least 10 bases across Afghanistan since signing a deal with the Taliban in February, according to Afghan and U.S. officials, as part of a drawdown process so murky that many here say they are uncertain of what's to come despite a fast-approaching deadline.
The base closures are part of the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan outlined in the deal. An Afghan official and a U.S. official confirmed the closures, several of which were previously unreported. The officials, like others in this story, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss base closures with the media.
Little is known about what remains of those bases, many in Afghanistan's most volatile provinces where U.S. support for Afghan operations has been critical in pushing back the Taliban. Some bases have been completely handed over to Afghan security forces. Others may have been vacated and left in a condition where they could be occupied again in the future if U.S. and Afghan officials consider it necessary. It is also unclear how much equipment -- more difficult to move than people -- remains at each of the closed installations.
In interviews, half a dozen former and current U.S. and Afghan officials said uncertainty still surrounds the plans to bring down troop numbers from roughly 5,000 to 2,500 by Jan. 15, days before President Donald Trump leaves office. The abrupt announcement of the drawdown has forced decision-making on a shortened timeline.
A second U.S. official familiar with ongoing discussions around the drawdown said people are still working on details regarding what equipment -- ranging from spare vehicle parts to ammunition -- needs to be sent back to the United States and what can be turned over to the Afghan government.
Despite the drawdown in people and equipment, the second U.S. official said, the United States will retain the ability to carry out airstrikes against the Taliban in defense of Afghan forces. U.S. troops will also be able to carry out some counterterrorism strikes against the Islamic State, the official said.
A third U.S. official with knowledge of the discussions said a number of significant decisions are to be made or finalized over the next two weeks, including which other bases will close, what equipment will be turned over to the Afghan government and how U.S. equipment will be ticketed to leave.
The decisions will be made in consultation with both NATO allies and Afghan partners, the official said.
The U.S. drawdown announcement prompted a warning from NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who said an abrupt departure risks allowing Afghanistan to become a haven for terrorists.
"We went into Afghanistan together. And when the time is right, we should leave together in a coordinated and orderly way," he said Nov. 17.
The closing of U.S. bases also hands Taliban fighters symbolic and tangible victories, said Ashley Jackson, an expert on the militant group with the Overseas Development Institute.
"It's the best propaganda [the Taliban] could ever have," Jackson said, citing contacts she has close to the Taliban. "It's the psychological effect that they are watching."
And, as the U.S. closes smaller outposts that helped government forces hold territory, she said the Taliban would probably move in and expand its reach.
It is unclear how many bases remain open in Afghanistan, in part because the total number of military sites has not been made public. Even the bases that were once the largest in the country, like Kandahar Air Field and Jalalabad Air Base, now house only a handful of U.S. troops, according to Afghan officials.
Some Afghan officials concerned by the withdrawal point to violence already rising across Afghanistan since the signing of the U.S.-Taliban deal, fearing that pulling more troops out faster will only further embolden the Taliban. Many of the places where the United States has closed bases or reduced troop levels have witnessed a spike in targeted killings or in some cases deadly Taliban offensives.
"There is less of a safety net" for Afghan forces, said one Afghan official. Without the presence of U.S. forces nearby to provide support like medical evacuations or airstrikes, Afghan ground forces will be less likely to launch operations, allowing the Taliban to become stronger, he said.
Information for this article was contributed by Aziz Tassal, Sharif Hassan and Shane Harris of The Washington Post.