US abandoned $7B in military equipment in Afghanistan ahead of Taliban takeover
FOX NewsSep 09, 2022
Report: US Left Behind $7B of Military Equipment In Afghanistan Withdrawal
Image copyright: AP Photo [via Townhall]
The Facts
US forces left behind approximately $7B of military equipment when withdrawing from Afghanistan, according to a Pentagon report viewed by CNN this week.
This includes around $1B in aircrafts, 12k military humvees, and nearly all the communication equipment given to Afghan forces.
The Spin
Republican narrative
The Biden admin. allowed the Taliban, a terrorist organization, to get ahold of billions of dollars worth of high-tech military hardware, including aircraft and vehicles. Biden and the rest of the Democrats continue to obfuscate their failings and avoid taking responsibility for their blunders.
Democratic narrative
Though the US was forced to leave behind a sizable amount of equipment, most of it was either rendered inoperable before the end of the withdrawal or is unusable without technical maintenance and spare parts. Plus, the figure of $7B is less than half of the total $18.6B worth of equipment provided to Afghan forces since 2005.