Taliban dismisses Trump's call for return of $7bn (£5.7bn) US gear
The Taliban have rejected Donald Trump's appeal for the return of equipment left in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of American forces from the country in 2021. In the context of increasingly heated discussions, it is suggested there could be about 1,000 various American vehicles and artillery pieces, as well as an unspecified number of aircraft.
In a speech on the eve of his presidential inauguration, Donald Trump conditioned further financial aid to Afghanistan on the return of American military equipment still in the hands of the Taliban. Comments coming from Afghanistan suggest that retrieving the weapons located there could be a very difficult task for the United States.
They don't want to return the American equipment
According to sources such as the Hindustan Times and Stars and Stripes, an anonymous insider reports that the Taliban believe the United States should not only refrain from reclaiming the abandoned weapons but also provide more resources to combat the Islamic State of Khorasan. "At the moment, we do not intend to comment on this," wrote Taliban spokesperson deputy, Hamdullah Fetrat.
Military equipment valued at approximately £5.7 billion
The circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan have been repeatedly criticised by Donald Trump. It is estimated that the military equipment left there by the Americans may have a total value of around $7 (£5.7) billion.
Some American equipment was deliberately damaged during the evacuation, but much remained intact, and additionally, the Taliban managed to restore some of the weapons and vehicles that required repairs. The Defence Express portal estimated that this might include significant quantities of M113 armoured personnel carriers, Maxxpro armoured vehicles, and MSFV armoured vehicles, as well as several dozen M114 howitzers of 152mm and a few planes and helicopters (including multirole UH-60 Black Hawks).
Much of the captured American military equipment is showcased in the annual parades marking the Taliban's return to power. Some observers see a chance to normalise relations with the USA through the over $9 (£7.3) billion in frozen currency reserves, to which the Taliban would like to gain access.
