When Biden abandoned billions of dollars worth of equipment as well as thousands of Americans, he knowing provided direct military assistance to the Taliban. In this sort of situation that we had in Afghanistan, it would make sense to have some sort of controlled departure. The first priority would be to prevent the enemy from gaining access to useful equipment, and to take away anything valuable lest it should fall into the wrong hands. Instead Biden chose to leave at the drop of a hat in a disorganized chaos not seem since the fall of Saigan.
The Lead Inspector general’s report of the fiasco spells out exactly what sort of damage the Biden administration inflicted upon the American taxpayers.
The Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General said the United States left an estimated $7.12 billion in military equipment when it withdrew from Afghanistan last year.
According to its report published Tuesday, among the supplies abandoned were “military aircraft, ground vehicles, weapons, and other military equipment.” Most are suspected to be tactical ground vehicles like Humvees and mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles (MRAPs).
The military left behind nearly 316,260 small arms weapons — including sniper rifles, machine guns, and grenade launchers — worth up to $511.8 million.
The report also indicated the U.S. also lost $923.3 million worth of military aircraft and $294.6 million in aircraft munitions. The military reportedly decommissioned “some” of the aircraft, rendering them unusable.
The findings come nearly one year after the United States abruptly exited Afghanistan, turning the country over to Taliban forces vying to restore the Islamic Emirate established after Russia’s departure in the 1980s.