A U.S. watchdog revealed this week that equipment, weapons, and facilities worth billions of dollars—left behind during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan—now form the core of the Taliban’s security apparatus.
The final report of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) also states that despite Afghanistan’s fall to the Taliban in 2021, the United States remained the country’s largest donor, having disbursed more than $3.83 billion in humanitarian and development assistance since then.
“Billions of dollars spent to develop and equip the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), as well as billions of dollars spent to construct civilian infrastructure, were lost when the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021,” the report notes, referring to the U.S. withdrawal under former President Joe Biden.
UN confirms TTP receives Afghan Taliban support amid escalating attacks on Pakistan
In total, the U.S. obligated at least $38.6 billion for equipping and building infrastructure for the ANDSF, as well as constructing civil infrastructure for the Afghan people.
Due to the Taliban takeover, SIGAR said, it was unable to inspect any of the equipment provided to, or facilities constructed for, the ANDSF following the Afghan government’s collapse.
However, the Department of Defense determined that the United States left behind approximately $7.1 billion in equipment and material previously supplied to the ANDSF.
Likewise, any remaining ANDSF facilities that were not destroyed can be assumed to be under Taliban control.
“These U.S. taxpayer-funded equipment, weapons, and facilities have formed the core of the Taliban security apparatus.”
Trump warns of consequences if Afghanistan refuses to hand over Bagram airbase
From fiscal year 2002 through June 30, 2025, the United States obligated $31.2 billion for infrastructure, equipment, and transportation for the ANDSF.
Of that amount, the U.S. spent $19.7 billion to equip and transport the ANDSF.
According to the report, the funding included the purchase of 96,000 ground vehicles, 51,180 general purpose or light tactical vehicles, 23,825 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, nearly 900 armored combat vehicles, 427,300 weapons, 17,400 helmet-worn night vision devices, at least 162 aircraft, and other items.
‘Normalizing’ Taliban rule would betray Afghan women, UN expert warns world capitals
As of July 31, 2021—approximately two weeks prior to the Taliban takeover—DOD records indicated that the Afghan Air Force had 162 U.S.-provided aircraft in its inventory, of which 131 were usable.
The remaining $11.5 billion of the $31.2 billion spent by the U.S. was devoted to the construction of infrastructure for the ANDSF, including the construction of headquarters, training facilities, and bases or outposts around the country.
Congress created SIGAR in 2008 to “promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness” and to “prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse.”
Ali Imran is a Washington-based journalist, who has worked for leading world news organizations as correspondent, expert and in editorial positions. He is a published author and poet.
