The Taliban are now in charge of a staggering cache of military equipment left behind in Afghanistan by the United States, which decided to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2021. President Donald Trump said that billions of dollars’ worth of US weapons still in Afghanistan have caused questions about regional security and global terrorism. If these assets are not retrieved or neutralized, Afghanistan will become a hotbed of militants and instability will spread throughout South Asia and beyond. It is, therefore, necessary to prevent this abandoned arsenal from eroding regional security by the US reclaiming it as soon as possible.
These arms are excess equipment, including an aircraft, 40,000 vehicles and more than 300,000 weapons, which are at a $7.12 billion US value right now in control of the militant groups. These weapons are in possession of extremist groups in control of Afghanistan’s spaces where there is little government and have contributed to increased cross border attacks and a surge in regional violence. Advanced weaponry is being donated from the guidelines of warfare to terrorist groups that are already a threat for itself to neighboring countries and world security.
The $7.12 billion worth of abandoned US military equipment in Afghanistan has fueled terrorism and cross-border violence.
Part of the reason for Washington’s failure to secure or destroy the arsenal it abandoned is the strengthening of militant factions. Unchecked flow of weapons has aided the insurgents and extremist organizations in carrying out sophisticated attacks with great ease. These groups are exports of violence in Afghanistan and they export this violence into neighboring regions, particularly Pakistan. This is also further more complicated by the fact that the Taliban have used the US equipment to consolidate its rule and make the country a haven from which terrorist networks with global implications can now operate.
Afghanistan’s militarization affects Pakistan, along with several other countries. Security challenges have been stepped up along the Pakistan and Afghanistan border in the wake of influx of US made weapons into the hands of militant groups. Surge in cross border terrorism has resulted in Pakistan’s security forces and national resources becoming strained. The high costs of additional military deployments and additional border security measures have begun to divert investment away from other critical economic or developmental projects in Pakistan.
Abandoned US weapons have continued the militarization of Afghanistan, which is adversely affecting Pakistan in terms of internal stability. With the country having had to dedicate extensive resources to counterterrorism efforts, the economy can be said to be going through an already struggling economy. Pakistan has long called for Afghan-based militancy and arms proliferation to be given proper international attention but has failed to do so despite repeated warnings and diplomatic efforts. This crisis also lacks a coordinated global response, which increases regional instability.
Pakistan faces heightened security threats as US-made weapons fall into militant hands, increasing cross-border terrorism.
Furthermore, foreign actors like India, Iran, who have strategic stakes in Afghanistan, and purportedly helped in rehabilitating and redistributing the abandoned U.S. weaponry. The empowerment of militant networks has increased the security risks of this region and increased tensions amongst South Asian nations. Greater availability of sophisticated US weapons in the hands of nonstate actors breaks down have powers and renders a very volatile region that much more unpredictable.
Unchecked flow of US weapons into militant hands has been a constant ground of worry for Pakistan, but the international community has been mostly harmless. It will become an inevitable need to strengthen counterterrorism strategic policies, to tighten boarder security policies and to double military operations against armed groups. Although these actions alone cannot protect from the danger posed by the abandoned US arsenal, cooperation between international institutions is required to tackle the fundamental reasons for this worsening crisis.
In terms of governance, the Taliban has relied on the inherited arsenal of former Afghan armies to project military power, pacify dissent and hold onto Afghanistan. Militant groups allied to the Taliban are still holding onto their transnational agendas, which has serious regional security implications. Similarly, the situation also places an ethical and strategic burden on the US, to somehow prevent its own weapons from reaching its allies and interests.
Since it is the most viable course of action, the United States should negotiate the return or neutralization of the abandoned equipment. Diplomatic pressure, economic sanctions and the demand of responsible governance cannot be waived if the Taliban refuses. The performance by the Taliban in domestic stability, regional security and cooperation against the international terrorist organizations operating on Afghanistan’s geography should be demanded. Moreover, as conditions for future dealings with the Taliban government, it should maintain good relations with its neighbours and prevent the use of US made weapons in militant activities.
The Taliban’s reliance on inherited US arms strengthens its rule and empowers extremist groups with global security implications.
The problem of abandoned US military equipment in Afghanistan is bigger than a regional problem – it relates to the global security. This situation must be acted out and that if it is not acted out, then the extremist factions will be encouraged; terrorism will get worse and peace restoration to South Asia will be delayed. Washington must immediately and efficiently regain custody, dismantle or neutralise the weapons left behind. Now if those diplomatic efforts fail, we will need to use other means: targeted military operations, intelligence operations to recover them, as well as using economic leverage, to keep even more of these weapons from spreading.
Unfortunately, the abandoned US arsenal in Afghanistan is a big mishandling of security issues that urgently needs solving. By ignoring this issue, it would risk the life and security of the entire region and of the world, as terrorist networks would be allowed to grow unchecked. The US must own up to its conduct and difficult as it may be, must work with allies to rectify the damage done by hasty withdrawal. Only decisive coordinated actions by the international community can restore stability and prevent further violence from climbing due to American abandonment of the war chest.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.
