US Military Equipment Abandoned: Reason Behind Taliban's $85bn Arsenal Acquisition
In the aftermath of the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban has gained control over a significant portion of the estimated $7 billion worth of U.S. military equipment left behind, according to reports from The Times and The Sunday Times.
The Taliban's arsenal, as evidenced by photos and videos, includes over 64,300 machine guns, 358,530 assault rifles, more than 22,170 Humvees, 8,000 trucks, and over 109 types of helicopters, including A-29 Super Tucano attack planes, Mi-17s, UH-60 Black Hawks, and MD-530s.
However, key military aircraft, such as the UH-60 Black Hawks, remain outside Taliban control, housed in Uzbekistan. Despite negotiations and pressure, Uzbekistan has yet to return these aircraft, citing U.S. ownership and coordinating with Washington.
The Taliban government has asserted that ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani made a mistake by fleeing the country and that he should return the country's money. Ghani, who fled to the UAE, has not responded to these claims.
The U.S. and Taliban signed the Doha Agreement on Feb. 29, 2020, which paved the way for the withdrawal of "all military forces of the United States, its allies, and Coalition partners" from Afghanistan. However, despite having time to do so, the U.S. has not taken back any of its heavy equipment before the Taliban's full seizure of power.
Reports also suggest that the Taliban may be attempting to seize assets from winding-down USAID operations, but these reports are conflicting. Meanwhile, external actors such as Russia and Iran continue to manage their own military and diplomatic interests in the region, but direct military support or equipment transfers to the Taliban following the withdrawal are not prominently documented.
In conclusion, the Taliban has acquired most of the U.S. ground military equipment left in Afghanistan, but key military aircraft remain outside their control in Uzbekistan. The situation reflects ongoing challenges in the Taliban consolidating full military hardware access and reflects broader geopolitical complexities in the region.
This article was written by Sally Shakkour, the leader of the English news team and a news and breaking news writer with over 6-year experience in publishing content and digital journalism. The article was published by Al Bawaba, a news organization.
Sources:
- The Times and The Sunday Times
- Al Bawaba
- Various online reports
- USAID reports
- Search results from various news outlets and databases.
- The vast array of U.S. military equipment in Taliban hands, worth an estimated $7 billion, is a topic of widespread general-news coverage, as reported by The Times and The Sunday Times.
- The acquisition of over 64,300 machine guns, 358,530 assault rifles, and various types of helicopters by the Taliban, as shown in photos and videos, has stirred debate in the realm of politics and history.
- The educational and research community is closely watching the ongoing attempting by the Taliban to seize assets from winding-down USAID operations, although reports on the matter remain conflicting.
- The weather of Afghanistan may not play a direct role in the acquisition of U.S. military equipment by the Taliban, but the geopolitical complexities of the region, including the involvement of global powers like Russia and Iran in military and diplomatic affairs, continue to be covered in the news.
