Anna Hartz
Half a Million U.S. Weapons Missing After Afghanistan Withdrawal
Others are reading now
When the U.S. military pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021, they left behind more than just buildings and bases.
They also left behind weapons. A lot of them. Now, new reports suggest that half a million of those weapons are missing.
Some may have ended up in the hands of dangerous militant groups.
According to the BBC, the Taliban got control of around one million pieces of military gear after they took back power.
These included guns, vehicles, and equipment once used by American and Afghan forces.
Much of it was paid for by the United States. As the Taliban advanced, Afghan soldiers dropped their weapons and fled. U.S. forces also left gear behind during the withdrawal.
Sources told the BBC that the Taliban admitted to the UN that at least half of the equipment is now unaccounted for.
That’s about 500,000 items. The UN believes some of these have reached groups like al-Qaeda affiliates and other extremist groups in the region.
The Taliban say they take weapons storage seriously. A spokesman told the BBC that they reject any claims of smuggling or selling.
But reports from the UN and other sources tell a different story. Local commanders were allowed to keep a portion of the weapons.
Many of them then sold what they had on black markets. Some of these weapons were later found with groups in Pakistan, Yemen, and elsewhere.
In Kandahar, there was even an open arms market for a while. It eventually went underground.
Now, weapons are sold over apps like WhatsApp, with American guns changing hands between commanders and wealthy buyers.
Donald Trump has spoken about this many times. He says the U.S. left $85 billion in weapons behind and wants to get them back.
But experts doubt that will happen. Some say it would cost more than the weapons are worth.
While many advanced weapons may be unusable, simpler ones—like rifles and Humvees—are still being used.
The Taliban have also used them to strengthen their position and to show off their power.
The problem isn’t going away. And it’s still not clear where all those weapons really ended up.