Three years have passed since the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the consequences of that decision continue to unfold. Among them is the alarming fact that approximately $7 billion worth of weapons and military equipment were left behind, now finding their way into maximizing the troubles in thee region.
According to estimates from the U.S. Department of Defense, the abandoned stockpiles were valued at around $7.12 billion.
This significant inventory included approximately 600,000 weapons of diverse types, nearly 300 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, and over 80,000 vehicles, along with advanced communication equipment and cutting-edge materials such as night vision goggles and biometric systems.
These figures were detailed by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). In the aftermath of the military exit in the summer of 2021, reports surfaced indicating that the Taliban had acquired an extensive array of military assets. A Taliban official stated that the group obtained over 300,000 light arms, 26,000 heavy weapons, and around 61,000 military vehicles, significantly bolstering their existing arsenal.
A subsequent 2022 report from the Department of Defense confirmed that the U.S. left behind 78 aircraft, 40,000 military vehicles, and more than 300,000 individual weapons.
What makes this situation particularly concerning is the utilization of these abandoned weapons in ongoing terrorism , notably against Pakistan.
Following the U.S. withdrawal, there has been a notable uptick in terrorist attacks in regions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) have been capitalizing on the power vacuum created by the withdrawal and the vast stockpiles of discarded arms in Afghanistan.
The provincial home department’s annual report for 2024 paints a grim picture, indicating that 296 individuals, including both civilians and members of Pakistan’s armed forces, were killed, and over 500 wounded in 563 reported attacks in Balochistan throughout the year.
This troubling escalation emphasizes the dire implications of the military equipment left behind. The decision to abandon such substantial military assets has sparked significant criticism, including remarks from former President Donald Trump, who branded the Biden administration’s choice as “stupid.”
However, the pivotal question remains: what, if anything, can be done to reclaim this vast arsenal?
