The Clean Weapons Conundrum: Unraveling The Afghan Mystery On Youtube

The United States has been involved in a 20-year war in Afghanistan, which has resulted in billions of dollars' worth of weapons and equipment being left behind in the country. The US has conducted several operations, such as Operation Ammunition Clean Sweep, to address the issue of unserviceable or unsafe ammunition. However, there are still concerns about the accountability of weapons provided to Afghan Security Forces, with reports of theft and weapons being sold to enemies. The situation in Afghanistan remains unstable, and the Taliban has been conducting killing sprees and cracking down on human rights.

The US left behind $7 billion worth of weapons in Afghanistan after its 2021 withdrawal

The US left behind approximately $7 billion worth of weapons and military equipment in Afghanistan after its 2021 withdrawal. This included aircraft, air-to-ground munitions, military vehicles, weapons, and communications equipment. The equipment was transferred to the Afghan government, which collapsed before the US withdrawal.

The US had given a total of $18.6 billion worth of equipment to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) from 2005 to 2021. Of that total, equipment worth $7.12 billion remained in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal.

The Pentagon report, released in March 2022, states that the US military “demilitarized” and rendered inoperable some of the equipment before leaving, including 78 aircraft worth $923.3 million. However, the report also notes that the US left behind nearly 42,000 pieces of night vision, surveillance, biometric, and positioning equipment, as well as over 300,000 weapons.

The Defense Department has no plans to return to Afghanistan to retrieve or destroy the remaining equipment. This has raised concerns that the Taliban could gain access to and use the US-supplied weapons and equipment, despite requiring specialized maintenance and technical support.

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan was widely criticized for its chaotic and hasty execution, with lawmakers from both parties expressing disapproval. The situation has also brought attention to the hidden costs of the US and NATO military withdrawal, which ended two decades of Western involvement in the country.

The US gave a total of $18.6 billion of equipment to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) from 2005 to 2021

The US has been supporting the development of the ANDSF since 2002, providing equipment and training to help them fight insurgents and terrorists threatening Afghanistan's stability. The equipment provided by the US included rifles, bomb disposal robots, Humvees, helicopters, night vision surveillance, and air-to-surface missiles.

The US Department of Defense (DoD) estimates that $7.12 billion worth of equipment remained in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal in August 2021. This included aircraft, air-to-ground munitions, military vehicles, weapons, and communications equipment. The Defense Department has no plans to return to Afghanistan to retrieve or destroy the equipment, and it is now in the hands of the Taliban.

The US military took steps to demilitarize and render inoperable some of the equipment before withdrawing, including 78 aircraft at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. However, the Taliban has still gained access to a significant amount of US military equipment, with Taliban fighters brandishing American-supplied weapons, equipment, and uniforms.

The US government's total military aid to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2020 was $72.7 billion, with nearly all of it coming from the Department of Defense through the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund (ASFF) and the Train and Equip Fund. The US also provided funding for salaries, infrastructure, and reconstruction activities.

The US has no plans to return to Afghanistan to retrieve or destroy the equipment

The US left behind approximately $7 billion worth of military equipment, including aircraft, air-to-ground munitions, military vehicles, weapons, and communications equipment. This equipment was provided to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) over a period of 16 years.

While the US military destroyed or rendered inoperable some equipment before withdrawing, the majority of the $7.12 billion worth of equipment remained in Afghanistan. This included 78 aircraft, 9,524 air-to-ground munitions, 40,000 military vehicles, and 300,000 weapons.

The decision to leave equipment behind was due to the rushed nature of the withdrawal and the need to prioritize evacuating people out of Afghanistan. However, the abandonment of this equipment has been heavely criticized, with lawmakers from both parties expressing concern.

Some have argued that the equipment will have little more than symbolic value to the Taliban, as much of it requires specialized maintenance that was previously provided by US contractors. However, others worry that the Taliban could use the small arms or pass the equipment on to American adversaries.

The US Department of Defense has emphasized that the $7.12 billion figure corresponds to ANDSF equipment and not US military equipment, which was mostly destroyed or retrograded prior to withdrawal.

The Taliban have been seen parading through the streets of Afghanistan in US armoured vehicles

The Taliban have been seen celebrating the US withdrawal from Afghanistan by parading through the streets in US armoured vehicles. The parades, which took place in Kandahar, the Taliban's southern Afghan heartland, featured long lines of green Humvees and other armoured vehicles, driven in single file by armed Taliban fighters. The vehicles were captured from Afghan forces during the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.

The parades also featured fly-pasts from Black Hawk helicopters, trailing the Taliban flag. At least one Black Hawk has been seen flying over Kandahar, suggesting that a former Afghan army member was at the controls, as the Taliban lack qualified pilots.

The US provided an estimated $28 billion in weaponry to Afghanistan between 2002 and 2017. The Taliban's seizure of US-made armoured vehicles and weaponry is a cause for concern for US officials, who worry that the equipment could be used to kill civilians or be passed on to American adversaries or terror groups.

The Pentagon has tried to downplay these concerns, insisting that most of the equipment was rendered inoperable before the US withdrawal and that the Taliban lack the technical knowledge to use and maintain the more sophisticated weapons systems and aircraft.

The US left behind 23,825 Humvees in Afghanistan, including armoured gun truck variants

The US left behind a significant amount of military equipment and weaponry in Afghanistan following the 2021 withdrawal. This included 23,825 Humvees, of which 12,000 were confirmed to have been left behind, with the operational condition of the remaining vehicles unknown.

The Humvees were part of a larger collection of military vehicles, with over 40,000 of the 96,000 provided to Afghan forces remaining in the country. This also included 70 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAPs) and 27 Humvees left at the Kabul airport.

The US also left behind 78 aircraft, including Black Hawk helicopters, which were rendered inoperable before the US withdrawal. The Taliban has since been able to use some of these aircraft, with reports of them being flown across Kandahar airport.

In addition to vehicles and aircraft, the US also left behind a large number of weapons, including rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars, and night-vision goggles. The total value of the equipment left behind is estimated to be around $7 billion.

Frequently asked questions