fallstuff
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2009
- Messages
- 9,441
- Reaction score
- 0
- Country
- Location
The US military left expensive aircraft in Afghanistan, and the Taliban is upset that none of them work
After a deadly evacuation of US troops from Afghanistan, a lot of attention has been turned to what was left behind for the Taliban to seize. That reportedly includes billions of dollars worth of military weapons and vehicles.
However, according to reports, the Taliban seems to be upset that not everything that was deserted seems to be operational.
A reporter with Al Jazeera toured a hangar in Afghanistan where US military helicopters sat. They report that the Taliban forces expected Americans to leave the aircraft in one piece so that they could be used.
"When I said to them, 'why do you think that the Americans would have left everything operational for you?' They said because we believe it is a national asset and we are the government now and this could have come to great use for us," the reporter said in a video posted to Twitter.
As the US military began winding down its presence, much of its equipment was given to Afghan security forces. With the Taliban fully in power, it would seem much of that is now in their hands. However, Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., head of U.S. Central Command, told the Washington Post that before leaving Kabul, the military "demilitarized" many vehicles, including 73 aircraft. "Those aircraft will never fly again," he told the post. "They’ll never be able to be operated by anyone."
Vice reports of footage showing a Taliban test flight of a US Blackhawk helicopter. However, according to a former soldier who spoke to Vice under the condition of being anonymous, the Blackhawks will eventually have to be grounded due to a lack of spare parts.
The final military pullout of Afghanistan fulfilled President Biden's pledge to end what he called a “forever war” that began in response to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and rural Pennsylvania. His decision, announced in April, reflected a national weariness of the Afghanistan conflict. Now he faces criticism at home and abroad, not so much for ending the war as for his handling of a final evacuation that unfolded in chaos and raised doubts about U.S. credibility.
The U.S. war effort at times seemed to grind on with no endgame in mind, little hope for victory and minimal care by Congress for the way tens of billions of dollars were spent for two decades. The human cost piled up — tens of thousands of Americans injured in addition to the dead.
www.wtsp.com
After a deadly evacuation of US troops from Afghanistan, a lot of attention has been turned to what was left behind for the Taliban to seize. That reportedly includes billions of dollars worth of military weapons and vehicles.
However, according to reports, the Taliban seems to be upset that not everything that was deserted seems to be operational.
A reporter with Al Jazeera toured a hangar in Afghanistan where US military helicopters sat. They report that the Taliban forces expected Americans to leave the aircraft in one piece so that they could be used.
"When I said to them, 'why do you think that the Americans would have left everything operational for you?' They said because we believe it is a national asset and we are the government now and this could have come to great use for us," the reporter said in a video posted to Twitter.
As the US military began winding down its presence, much of its equipment was given to Afghan security forces. With the Taliban fully in power, it would seem much of that is now in their hands. However, Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., head of U.S. Central Command, told the Washington Post that before leaving Kabul, the military "demilitarized" many vehicles, including 73 aircraft. "Those aircraft will never fly again," he told the post. "They’ll never be able to be operated by anyone."
Vice reports of footage showing a Taliban test flight of a US Blackhawk helicopter. However, according to a former soldier who spoke to Vice under the condition of being anonymous, the Blackhawks will eventually have to be grounded due to a lack of spare parts.
The final military pullout of Afghanistan fulfilled President Biden's pledge to end what he called a “forever war” that began in response to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and rural Pennsylvania. His decision, announced in April, reflected a national weariness of the Afghanistan conflict. Now he faces criticism at home and abroad, not so much for ending the war as for his handling of a final evacuation that unfolded in chaos and raised doubts about U.S. credibility.
The U.S. war effort at times seemed to grind on with no endgame in mind, little hope for victory and minimal care by Congress for the way tens of billions of dollars were spent for two decades. The human cost piled up — tens of thousands of Americans injured in addition to the dead.
Reports: The US military left expensive aircraft in Afghanistan, and the Taliban is upset that none of them work
After a deadly evacuation of US troops from Afghanistan, a lot of attention has been turned to what was left behind for the Taliban to seize.
www.wtsp.com
