More than $7 billion US-provided military equipment was in the hands of the Western-backed Afghan government when it collapsed last year, and much of it ended up in the hands of the Islamic Emirate after the US pullout, according to a report from the Defense Department’s inspector general released on Tuesday.
The majority of the outlay, according to the report, went into tactical ground vehicles like MRAPs and Humvees, which cost about $4.12 billion when the Islamic Emirate took control of Kabul on August 15, 2021.
“The DoD estimated that US-funded equipment valued at $7.12 billion was in the inventory of the former Afghan government when it collapsed, much of which has since been seized by the Taliban. This included military aircraft, ground vehicles, weapons, and other military equipment. The condition of these items was unknown, and the long-term operability of the vehicles was likely to deteriorate without US contractor maintenance. The US military removed or destroyed nearly all major equipment used by US troops in Afghanistan throughout the drawdown period in 2021,” the report reads.
According to the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General report, the ISIS attacks in Afghanistan have increased by ninety percent in the last three months.
“ISIS-K was the most active terrorist group in Afghanistan this quarter, claiming 80 attacks—a 90 percent increase from the previous quarter—including some complex attacks, demonstrating the group’s capability to strike multiple targets in quick succession. Most of these attacks targeted Afghanistan’s Shia Hazara and Sufi religious minorities, civilian infrastructure, and neighboring countries—targeting security forces in Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Through these attacks, ISIS-K aims to undermine Taliban rule and attract new recruits,” the report further added.
In an interview with RIA Novosti on August 16, Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special representative for Afghanistan, said that Russia would not like to see about a hundred planes and helicopters get into Ukraine.
“It is important for us that about a hundred of those helicopters and planes, on which Afghan military last August escaped to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, would not get into Ukraine,” Kabulov said, noting that about 60 helicopters and planes were flown to Tajikistan and about 40-50 helicopters and planes were flown to Uzbekistan.
“America should answer the question of why it entered Afghanistan and why it stayed there for 20 years while all of its military secrets were revealed in Asia,” said Mohammad Mateen, a political analyst.
“The military equipment of America, which is in the hands of the Islamic Emirate, should be kept properly, because it is the property of the Afghan people, and it should be used for the security and peace of Afghanistan,” said Yousuf Amin, military expert.
“It is not possible to deliver the helicopters that were transported to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to Ukraine following the fall of the previous administration,” stated military analyst Assadullah Nadim.
While visiting Tajikistan two months ago, US Central Command in the Middle East (CENTCOM) commander Michael E. Corella declared that these helicopters would never be sent back to Afghanistan and that they did not belong to the Islamic Emirate. He added that efforts are being made to deliver some or all of these helicopters to Tajikistan.
