The lethal mix of American Arms and Pakistani nukes
Finally, the last American soldier has left Afghanistan. The strategic blunder unfolding before the entire world leaves even a naive person wondering why US President Biden did not stop Taliban when he had all the military and diplomatic resources at his disposal. Maybe the $85 billion worth of weapons he has ‘knowingly’ left behind for Taliban answers it.
What has the US left behind?
The US weapons cache includes over 60 military transport planes, 20 light attack airplanes, 18 surveillance aeroplanes, 110 military helicopters, including Mi-17, the famous Black Hawk, etc. Just yesterday, we saw the disturbing visuals of Taliban flying one such Black Hawk over Kandahar and hanging a US interpreter to it. The visuals are enough to explain how Taliban will use the left-behind US arsenal.
Apart from the aerial equipment, there is a vast ground forces weapons treasure the US has almost gifted Taliban. It includes over 50,000 tactical vehicles, 22,000-plus armed humvees, around 900 mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles, around 200 armoured personal carriers, etc. In addition, Taliban also will take over some 200 artillery guns and 500,000 assault rifles and pistols.
Who benefits from these weapons?
Although Taliban is the primary beneficiary of this US largesse, some of these weapons have already found their way to the terror state of Pakistan, and more will reach there. Such hand over poses a direct threat to the security of the entire region. Besides, what should be worrying American military strategists is Taliban’s growing ties with China and the access that the Chinese get to these US weapons. Curiously, it was the Black Hawk helicopter that had gone down in Pakistan during the killing of Osama Bin Laden, which the Chinese were interested in and forced Pakistan to hand them over its debris for research.
Pakistani nuclear weapons
Apart from the US weapons, what is worrying the world most is the access Taliban terrorists may get to Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. After Taliban openly called Pakistan their second home, 68 US lawmakers have written to President Biden, raising concerns over Taliban getting access to Pakistani nuclear weapons. Also, several military veterans from the US and UK have voiced concerns over the same issue. With Pakistan being a known nuclear proliferator and Taliban their proxy to conduct dirty work, the Pakistani nukes, if accessible to Taliban, pose a grave global risk.
Former US President Donald Trump has criticised these actions by the Biden administration and has also questioned why the US is not bombing the military hardware rather than hand it over to Taliban. Despite all the suggestions, US President Joe Biden is just not ready to act against Taliban. With it, conspiracy theories have started flying high over President Biden that there is something more than what meets the eye!