Washington: A U.S. watchdog has confirmed that billions of dollars in American weapons and equipment abandoned during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan now form the core of the Afghan Taliban.
“The U.S. taxpayer-funded equipment, weapons, and facilities have formed the core of the Taliban security apparatus,” states the latest report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), released this week.
The 137-page document mentioned U.S. Department of Defense estimates showing that approximately $7.1 billion worth of material previously supplied to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) was left behind.
From 2002 to June 30, 2025, the United States obligated $31.2 billion for the ANDSF, of which $19.7 billion was spent on equipment and transportation.
This funding purchased 96,000 ground vehicles, 51,180 general-purpose or light tactical vehicles, 23,825 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs), nearly 900 armored combat vehicles, 427,300 weapons, 17,400 helmet-worn night-vision devices, at least 162 aircraft, and other military items nearly all of which are now under Taliban control, according to the SIGAR report.
