Taliban Has $7.2 Billion Worth of U.S. Military Equipment Abandoned in Afghanistan, Report Says
Biden’s botched withdrawal left behind aircraft, guns and vehicles
A government watchdog found that the Taliban now has $7.2 billion worth of U.S.-funded weapons and ammunition.
“Nearly $7.2 billion worth of aircraft, guns, vehicles, ammunition, and specialized equipment” The Biden administration evacuated Afghanistan in a grueling evacuation. a report Published in February 2012 by the Special Inspector General of Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), a federal watchdog that oversees U.S. spending in Afghanistan.
“At least 78 aircraft worth $923.3 million, 9,524 air-to-ground munitions valued at $6.54 million, over 40,000 vehicles, more than 300,000 weapons, and nearly all night vision, surveillance, communications, and biometric equipment provided to the [Afghan defense forces] were left behind,” According to SIGAR’s Report.
This report is ahead of the original public hearing on the Afghanistan withdrawal in the Republican-controlled House Wednesday and is likely to fuel questions on why the administration failed to prevent the Taliban from stealing U.S. military hardware. Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. says The Biden administration has blocked his committee from obtaining documents that might reveal the government’s mishandling.
SIGAR Investigators were told by the Pentagon that they had no information. “currently is no realistic way to retrieve the materiel that remains in Afghanistan, given that the United States does not recognize the Taliban as a government,” According to the report.
Taliban units are now “patrol in pickup trucks and armored vehicles likely procured by the U.S.,” According to the report. Taliban-run special operation forces are also included in the report. “wear helmets with night vision mounts likely provided by the United States, and carry U.S.-provided M4 rifles equipped with advanced gunsights.”
Terrorist group uses also “more advanced U.S.-provided equipment,” For example, armored vehicles or Mi-17 helicopters.
The Taliban also recruits ex-military personnel from Afghanistan to fly abandoned U.S. aircraft and join its air force. “The pilots working for the Taliban reportedly need jobs and say the Taliban are the most reliable employer in Afghanistan,” According to the report.
Some of the most innovative equipment and technology “remains vulnerable to exploitation by adversarial states” If you are interested in understanding the workings of U.S. military weapons systems. This includes “optical and communications equipment, computer software and hardware, and biometrical data.”
SIGAR found additional evidence that the Taliban was being investigated “attempting to summon former government employees to provide access to servers belonging to the former government that included biometric data.”
A second concern is the Taliban “could sell a portion of the captured arms and equipment to augment its revenue flow.”
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