Spoils of war: How Taliban commanders compete to sell and smuggle American weapons

By Kazim Ehsan

According to a 2022 Pentagon report, the US left behind $7 billion worth of military equipment in Afghanistan after withdrawing from the country in August 2021, including dozens of aircraft, air-to-ground munitions, thousands of military vehicles, weapons, advanced spy and communications equipment, and other materials. The Taliban now has access to this equipment, which has raised international concerns. Several reports indicate that insurgent and extremist groups in the region find it easy to access this equipment.