MCViewPoint

Opinion from a Libertarian ViewPoint

Posts Tagged ‘Military Equipment’

Pentagon Estimates Taliban Took Control of Over $7 Billion in US Military Equipment

Posted by M. C. on August 18, 2022

The majority of the equipment was tactical ground vehicles, such as MRAPs and Humvees

On Wednesday, the Taliban reportedly tested two US-made aircraft in flights over Kabul, a sign that they have the means to repair the equipment. The Taliban have said that they would integrate pilots, mechanics, and other specialists from the former US-backed Afghan army.

So…was this gross incompetence, the pentagram couldn’t be bothered as taxpayers would replace the equipment or is there a hidden agenda in arming the Taliban? Will the Taliban be the next Mujaheddin? We know what they morphed into.

by Dave DeCamp

antiwar.com

The Pentagon’s Inspector General said Tuesday that the now-defunct US-backed Afghan government had over $7 billion in US military equipment at the time of its collapse last year and that most of it was seized by the Taliban.

“The DoD estimated that US-funded equipment valued at $7.12 billion was in the inventory of the former Afghan government when it collapsed, much of which has since been seized by the Taliban,” the Inspector General’s report said.

The report said the things left behind included “military aircraft, ground vehicles, weapons, and other military equipment.” The majority of the equipment was tactical ground vehicles, such as MRAPs and Humvees, worth an estimated $4.12 billion.

The Inspector General said that the US military “destroyed nearly all major equipment used by US troops in Afghanistan throughout the drawdown period in 2021.” Monday marked one year since the Taliban entered Kabul and the US-backed Afghan government officially collapsed.

On Wednesday, the Taliban reportedly tested two US-made aircraft in flights over Kabul, a sign that they have the means to repair the equipment. The Taliban have said that they would integrate pilots, mechanics, and other specialists from the former US-backed Afghan army.

The US had plans to increase funding for Afghanistan’s forces after the withdrawal as Washington expected to be funding a proxy war against the Taliban for years to come. But the plan failed as the US-backed forces agreed to surrender to the Taliban. Some of the military aid meant for Afghanistan has been sent to Ukraine, including Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters.

Throughout the war, the US spent about $88 billion arming and training the Afghan forces as part of its reconstruction efforts, which were defined by exorbitant waste. Overall, the US spent $2.3 trillion on the war in Afghanistan, a figure that includes interest on war borrowing and veterans care.

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Quantifying The “Staggering Costs” Of US Military Equipment Left Behind In Afghanistan | ZeroHedge

Posted by M. C. on August 24, 2021

You get your people and your stuff out first. Shouldn’t be that tough for a superpower.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/quantifying-staggering-costs-us-military-equipment-left-behind-afghanistan

Tyler Durden's Photoby Tyler Durden

Authored by Adam Andrzejewski via Forbes.com,

The U.S. provided an estimated $83 billion worth of training and equipment to Afghan security forces since 2001. This year, alone, the U.S. military aid to Afghan forces was $3 billion.

Putting price tags on American military equipment still in Afghanistan isn’t an easy task. In the fog of war – or withdrawal – Afghanistan has always been a black box with little sunshine.

Not helping transparency, the Biden Administration is now hiding key audits on Afghan military equipment. This week, our auditors at OpenTheBooks.com reposted two key reports on the U.S. war chest of military gear in Afghanistan that had disappeared from federal websites.

#1. Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit of U.S. provided military gear in Afghanistan (August 2017): reposted report (dead link: report).

#2. Special Inspector General For Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) audit of $174 million in lost ScanEagle drones (July 2020): reposted report (dead link: report).

U.S. taxpayers paid for these audits and the U.S.-provided equipment and should be able to follow the money.

After publication, the GAO spokesman responded to our request for comment, “the State Department requested we temporarily remove and review reports on Afghanistan to protect recipients of US assistance that may be identified through our reports and thus subject to retribution.” However, these reports only have numbers and no recipient information.

Furthermore, unless noted, when estimating “acquisition value,” our source is the Department Logistics Agency (DLA) and their comprehensive databases of military equipment.

The U.S. provided an estimated $83 billion worth of training and equipment to Afghan security forces since 2001. This year, alone, the U.S. military aid to Afghan forces was $3 billion.

Putting price tags on American military equipment still in Afghanistan isn’t an easy task. In the fog of war – or withdrawal – Afghanistan has always been a black box with little sunshine.

Not helping transparency, the Biden Administration is now hiding key audits on Afghan military equipment. This week, our auditors at OpenTheBooks.com reposted two key reports on the U.S. war chest of military gear in Afghanistan that had disappeared from federal websites.

#1. Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit of U.S. provided military gear in Afghanistan (August 2017): reposted report (dead link: report).

#2. Special Inspector General For Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) audit of $174 million in lost ScanEagle drones (July 2020): reposted report (dead link: report).

U.S. taxpayers paid for these audits and the U.S.-provided equipment and should be able to follow the money.

After publication, the GAO spokesman responded to our request for comment, “the State Department requested we temporarily remove and review reports on Afghanistan to protect recipients of US assistance that may be identified through our reports and thus subject to retribution.” However, these reports only have numbers and no recipient information.

Furthermore, unless noted, when estimating “acquisition value,” our source is the Department Logistics Agency (DLA) and their comprehensive databases of military equipment.

See the rest here

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