US President Donald Trump has called for the recovery of billions of dollars' worth of US military equipment left behind in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal in 2021.
During his first Cabinet meeting, Trump criticised the handling of the withdrawal, referring to it as a "disastrous exit." He specifically mentioned the abandonment of "billions, tens of billions of dollars’ worth of equipment," including brand new trucks.
Trump argued that the US should make efforts to retrieve the equipment, which he described as "top-of-the-line stuff" displayed by the Taliban on their roadways.
Trump also called for the removal of military leaders involved in the withdrawal process.
President Donald Trump has suggested that the United States should consider re-invading Afghanistan to reclaim military equipment left behind after the chaotic troop withdrawal in 2021.
In remarks made during the first cabinet meeting of his second administration, Trump criticised the withdrawal and discussed the billions of dollars worth of equipment left behind by the US military.
Trump, who negotiated the initial withdrawal terms with the Taliban during his presidency, was asked about holding military officers accountable for the flawed execution of the withdrawal under President Joe Biden.
The withdrawal led to the collapse of the Afghan government and the rapid takeover of the country by the Taliban.
Seizing on the conversation, Trump shifted focus to the equipment left behind, including vehicles, weapons, and military hardware.
"We left billions, tens of billions of dollars worth of equipment behind, brand new trucks. You see them display it every year, or their little roadway, someplace where they have a road and they drive the, you know, waving the flag and talking about America," Trump said.
"That’s all the top-of-the-line stuff. I think we should get a lot of that equipment back."
Trump went on to claim that the Taliban, which now controls Afghanistan, was selling American-made military equipment, including 777,000 rifles and 70,000 armoured vehicles, making Afghanistan "one of the biggest sellers of military equipment in the world."
This suggestion, however, raises significant questions.
Experts argue that retrieving this equipment would likely require a military intervention, which could amount to a re-invasion of Afghanistan. The US military typically leaves behind heavy equipment in combat zones because the cost of bringing it home outweighs the expense of replacing it.
According to defence experts, sensitive equipment, such as aircraft, is often demilitarised before being abandoned, rendering it useless.
Much of the equipment the US left behind, however, was transferred to the Afghan National Army (ANA), which collapsed when the Taliban seized control of the country.
Between 2005 and 2021, the US provided $18.6 billion worth of equipment to the ANA, including vehicles, weapons, aircraft, and communication systems. The remaining $7 billion worth of military gear, including aircraft and missiles, was left behind when the US withdrew.
While Trump’s comments have sparked further debate, experts contend that recovering the abandoned equipment would require extraordinary measures. Some have speculated that it could even involve a re-invasion, a scenario that would have far-reaching implications. Afghanistan has a long history of resisting foreign invasions, having repelled both the Soviet Union in the 1980s and the United States in the 21st century.
The White House has not yet responded to a request for comment on Trump’s proposal.
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