John Kirby, the spokesperson for the United States National SecurityCouncil, refuted claims that American military equipment was left in thepossession of militants in Afghanistan. During a news briefing, hedismissed the idea of abandonment, asserting that no American equipment wasleft behind by U.S. forces.
He clarified that, following the completion of the evacuation efforts, onlya small quantity of equipment and some aircraft remained at the airport,all of which had been rendered unusable. The only items that could havebeen taken by the Taliban were tow trucks, trucks with ladders, andfirefighting equipment.
When questioned by ARY News reporter Jahanzeb Ali about the militantsgaining control of military equipment worth approximately $7 billion, Kirbyacknowledged that some military equipment had fallen into the hands ofmilitants.
However, he emphasized that this equipment had been transferred to theAfghan National Security Forces well before the U.S. departure, as part ofthe mission to support and train these forces in taking charge of securityin Afghanistan. Kirby clarified that it was the Afghan security forces whohad abandoned this equipment, not the United States.
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Kirby also highlighted Washington’s commitment to working with Pakistan toaddress security threats along the Afghanistan border. In response to aquestion regarding President Biden’s characterization of Pakistan as acountry with nuclear weapons, Kirby affirmed that the Biden administrationwould collaborate with Pakistan to mitigate the threats emanating from theAfghanistan border.
He acknowledged the ongoing security challenges faced by the Pakistanipeople along this border and underscored the President’s dedication toworking with Pakistan to address these significant threats
