Briefing sought on Taliban access to U.S. military equipment

A pair of lawmakers have forwarded correspondence to the Department of Defense, seeking a briefing and information related to the Taliban’s access to U.S. military equipment in Afghanistan.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-KY) and National Security Subcommittee Ranking Member Glenn Grothman (R-WI) expressed concerns regarding the Taliban reportedly acquiring U.S.-made weaponry.

According to a 2017 assessment, between 2003 and 2016, the American military transferred about 75,898 military vehicles, 599,690 weapons systems and 208 aircraft to the Afghan National Defense Forces.

“As a direct result of the Biden Administration’s poorly planned and executed U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban is now armed with a significant arsenal of U.S.-made weaponry,” the lawmakers wrote. “We are left wondering if the Biden Administration has a plan to prevent the Taliban from using our weapons against the U.S. or its allies, or selling them to foreign adversaries, like China, Russia, Iran or North Korea.”

Additionally, the lawmakers wrote that the Taliban has seized biometric devices that could potentially be used to identify, persecute and attack Afghans and allies having assisted in U.S. missions.