Taliban warn neighbours against allowing US bases

The Taliban warned Afghanistan's neighbours  yesterday against allowing the United States to operate military bases on their soil, the insurgents insisting they would thwart such a "historic mistake". Washington is in the final stages of withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan, and a flurry of diplomatic calls between the United States and Pakistan in recent days has fuelled speculation the Pentagon is scouting for new bases to use against the Taliban. Several of Afghanistan's neighbours allowed the US military limited use of air bases in the early 2000s after the overthrow of the Taliban. Such overt physical support has largely ended, however, although some countries do allow their airspace to be used for military flights.