US weapons go “missing” in Afghanistan

LONDON: Around half a million US-supplied weapons once in Afghan army control are now missing, sold, or smuggled, sources told the BBC.

The Taliban took control of around one million weapons and pieces of military equipment, which had mostly been funded by the US, when it regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, according to a former Afghan official who spoke to the BBC anonymously.

These arms include M4s, M16s, and other advanced firearms.

Sources have told the BBC that, at the closed-door UN Security Council’s Sanctions Committee in Doha late last year, the Taliban admitted that at least half of this equipment is now “unaccounted” for.

A person from the committee said they had verified with other sources that the whereabouts of half a million items was unknown.

UN reports in February warned that al-Qaeda affiliates, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, had gained access to these weapons, either via Taliban-linked commanders or the black market. Despite Taliban claims that all arms are secured, reports suggest otherwise, the BBC reported.

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The UN believes local Taliban commanders, with some autonomy, retained 20 per cent of US weapons and often gifted them to allies, fueling the arms trade. While an open market in Kandahar has gone underground, trading continues on encrypted platforms like WhatsApp.

Although the Pentagon claimed most US weapons left behind were disabled, the Taliban regularly parades the gear at places like Bagram Airfield. They have successfully used Humvees and light arms but struggle to operate advanced systems like Black Hawk helicopters due to lack of expertise.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed the Biden administration and vowed to reclaim the lost arms. However, experts like ex-SIGAR chief John Sopko argue recovery costs would exceed value. The US had long-standing issues tracking its military aid in Afghanistan, according to watchdog reports.

While the Taliban insists the weapons will only be used for national defense, global concerns remain over their flow to militant groups across the region.