Taliban Capture of U.S. Weapons: Far, Far Worse than 1980s

In the wake of the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban have captured a large amount of American military equipment.

Exactly how much is unclear. As defense analyst Jonathan Schroden explained in an informative Twitter thread, it’s likely that the headlines about $85 billion in equipment overstate how much the Taliban have actually seized. But even if it’s much smaller than that, Jim Geraghty’s characterization in the Morning Jolt is still correct: “The Taliban have now seized one of the greatest caches of advanced military equipment ever. If we ever must fight them again, we will be fighting an enemy that is using our own weapons against us.”

In the wake of the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban have captured a large amount of American military equipment.

Exactly how much is unclear. As defense analyst Jonathan Schroden explained in an informative Twitter thread, it’s likely that the headlines about $85 billion in equipment overstate how much the Taliban have actually seized. But even if it’s much smaller than that, Jim Geraghty’s characterization in the Morning Jolt is still correct: “The Taliban have now seized one of the greatest caches of advanced military equipment ever. If we ever must fight them again, we will be fighting an enemy that is using our own weapons against us.”

About the Author

Dominic Pino

Dominic Pino is a former economics editor and Thomas L. Rhodes Fellow at National Review and the former host of the American Institute for Economic Research podcast Econception.