It’s been one year since the government of Afghanistan fell to the Taliban.
On the anniversary of Kabul’s fall, the US Defense Department’s Inspector General released a report that said that more than $7 billion worth of US military equipment was left in Afghanistan and was seized by the Taliban when they it seized power in the country.
After a month-long offensive by the Taliban, the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul fell on August 15. Billions of dollars of equipment were left behind by the US military.
The decision to withdraw US troops from the region had been made several months, before the Taliban began seizing control of the country.
The US had provided more than $84 billion worth of military equipment to the Afghan government, and most of it was left behind and seized by the Taliban, after the sudden collapse of the Afghan government.
The report listed tactical ground vehicles, such as Humvees, and mine-resistant MRAPS.
Included were almost $300 million in aircraft munitions and more than $900 million in military aircraft.
Some of the air force equipment was “demilitarized and rendered inoperable during the evacuation.”
There were also thousands of rifles, pistols, machines, and approximately 31,000 grenade launchers. The small weapons alone were worth about $500 million.
The inventory also included special night-vision and surveillance equipment, among other items.
In summary, between 2005 and 2021, the Defense Department gave the Afghan forces more than $84 billion in security assistance, and $18.6 billion went toward weapons for the Afghan National Army.
A Pentagon spokesman said, “The Afghan forces were heavily reliant on US contractor support to maintain both their aircraft and ground vehicle fleets. Without this continued support, the long-term operability of these assets would be limited.”
The report said that the equipment’s condition was “unknown” and that the vehicles needed expert maintenance or they would deteriorate.
The US military reportedly removed or destroyed most of the major equipment used by the American troops while they were withdrawing in 2021.
The plan for the removal of American troops from the region and the sudden fall of Kabul to the Taliban has left President Biden open to criticism from Republican lawmakers. They believe the withdrawal was a disaster and left a space for terrorists to continue their offenses against the US.
