Biden Officials Removed Lists of U.S. Military Gear in Afghanistan From Government Websites (A little late for that); The Taliban Now Has $85B Worth Of US Military Equipment; PHOTOS: Here Are Just Some of the Capabilities Thrown Away, and related stories
Biden officials removed lists of U.S. military gear in Afghanistan from government websites
The Biden administration two weeks ago removed online reports that provided key details on the U.S. military equipment provided to Afghan security forces over the past 20 years, some of which has found its way into Taliban hands after the abrupt American withdrawal from the country last month.
Officials with the Government Accountability Office confirmed Wednesday that they took down roughly 400 studies relating to Afghanistan, including a 2017 document that provided a comprehensive list of American military gear given to Afghan security forces up until that point. GAO officials said the removal came at the direct request of the State Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Times.
The reports were removed, officials said, out of fear that they could be used by Afghanistan‘s new leaders to identify Afghans who had supported the U.S. war effort and target them for revenge attacks.
“Given ongoing events in Afghanistan, the State Department requested we temporarily remove and review reports on Afghanistan to protect recipients of U.S. assistance that may be identified through our reports and thus subject to retribution,” the GAO said in a statement to The Times. “We did so out of an abundance of caution” about Aug. 16, a day after the U.S.-backed government in Kabul fell to the Taliban. —>READ MORE HERE
The Taliban Now Has $85 Billion Worth Of Taxpayer-Funded US Military Equipment:
The Taliban now has access to more than $85 billion worth of U.S. military equipment abandoned by the Afghan army.
Shortly after President Joe Biden abruptly withdrew U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the Afghan government collapsed and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. When faced with advancing Taliban fighters, the Afghan military also shrunk away despite two decades of U.S. time, effort, and taxpayer dollars poured into military equipment designated for the Afghans.
The Taliban quickly seized this bureaucratic void and took over the capital city of Kabul where thousands of pieces of American weaponry and military tools were lying in wait.
Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., warned that “due to the negligence of this administration,” the Taliban possess more than $85 billion worth of U.S. military equipment including 75,000 vehicles, more than 200 airplanes and helicopters, and more than 600,000 small arms and light weapons. —>READ MORE HERE
Follow links below to related stories:
+++++PHOTOS: Here Are Just Some of the Capabilities Thrown Away by US Commanders at Bagram Air Base+++++
Taliban throws victory parade with US military equipment
The cost of the Afghanistan war: Lives, money and equipment lost
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