In a striking revelation from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, evidence suggests that a large portion of the $7.1 billion in military assets left by the Biden administration in Afghanistan was operational, contradicting Pentagon statements. These resources included advanced fingerprint devices, which the Taliban reportedly utilized to target Afghans who collaborated with the U.S.
Despite initial assurances from the Defense Department and the Biden administration that most military equipment had been removed or destroyed prior to the August 2021 withdrawal, the report unveiled a different scenario. Significant quantities of weaponry and materials intended for the Afghan military were left as the American forces departed and the Taliban swiftly took control.
General Austin Scott Miller, US Forces Afghanistan commander, explained to the committee that these weapons were considered assets of the Afghan government, furnished over two decades with Congressional consent. The rapid collapse of the Afghan forces, however, led to these weapons falling into Taliban hands.
As the Taliban showcased their newfound capabilities in a recent military parade, flaunting operational tanks, helicopters, and Humvees formerly possessed by U.S and coalition forces, concerns mount over the implications of this oversight. Furthermore, access to U.S.-maintained biometric devices and databases has facilitated the Taliban in identifying and persecuting Afghans linked to the U.S. or NATO forces.
The report criticizes the chaotic handover of Bagram Air Base and other strategic sites, which compounded the debacle. The hurried evacuation lacked coordination with Afghan counterparts, leaving significant infrastructures like Bagram vulnerable to looting and effectively in the dark about American withdrawal plans.
General Frank McKenzie, then-head of US Central Command, defended the coordination of the withdrawal process despite conflicting reports from Afghan officials on the ground.
This detailed report underscores significant lapses in the U.S. withdrawal strategy, highlighting issues that led to advanced military equipment and crucial data falling into the hands of the Taliban, thereby increasing the risk and uncertainty in the region.
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