CBS News has reported that, 25 years after the September 11, 2001 attacks and five years after the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban are once again ruling the country while continuing to possess and use billions of dollars’ worth of American military equipment.
According to figures attributed to the US Department of Defense, Taliban forces acquired approximately $7 billion worth of American military equipment following the collapse of the former Afghan government in 2021. The equipment reportedly includes military vehicles, tanks, as well as light and heavy weapons.
The issue has resurfaced after US President Donald Trump criticized the previous administration and called for the Taliban to return the American weapons. Responding to CBS News, Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the equipment belonged to the Afghan government and that the Taliban would not negotiate over those assets.
Balkhi also argued that the United States caused significant financial and human losses in Afghanistan during the war and should first compensate the country for those damages.
The CBS report further stated that the Taliban’s control of the military equipment has helped strengthen its hold over Afghanistan. At the same time, the Taliban government has imposed severe restrictions, particularly affecting women and girls in education and employment.
US President Joe Biden described the 2021 withdrawal as the end of a “forever war.” However, subsequent White House and State Department reviews reportedly placed significant responsibility on the Trump administration’s 2020 Doha Agreement, which paved the way for the eventual withdrawal and Taliban return to power.