World News
Taliban maintains control in Afghanistan using abandoned American military hardware
CBS News reports that the group controls billions in U.S. equipment and refuses demands to return it.
The short version
- Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Taliban is operating as a state military force equipped with approximately $7 billion in left-behind U.S. military assets.[CBS News]
- Taliban foreign affairs spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi rejected U.S. demands to return the hardware, stating the equipment now belongs to the Afghan state.[CBS News]
- Critics argue the seized firepower has helped the Taliban enforce strict rules that bar women and girls from work and education.[CBS News]
Key facts
- About $7 billion in U.S.-funded weaponry and equipment fell into Taliban control following the 2021 Afghan military collapse.[CBS News]
- President Trump criticized the withdrawal process and demanded the return of the abandoned military hardware.[CBS News]
- Taliban spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi stated the assets belong to Afghanistan and will not be returned or negotiated.[CBS News]
- A 2023 State Department review cited insufficient withdrawal planning across both the Trump and Biden administrations.[CBS News]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
- 25 years after 9/11, Taliban rules Afghanistan again, but with U.S. firepowerCBS News - Top Stories