Abandoned military equipment turns the region into a “powder keg”. Washington, Moscow, Beijing and Tehran are on their toes
Over the past 20 years, the United States has set aside $ 83 billion to train and arm the Afghan army. Despite its technological superiority, after the withdrawal of the Americans, the local army offered no resistance to the Taliban. On the contrary, modern weapons have fallen into the hands of the new government, from equipment and assault rifles to tens of billions of armored vehicles and helicopters.
Look at some of the weapons that fell into the hands of the Taliban >> >> >>
The failure of the United States to create a sustainable Afghan army and police will be studied for years.
“Money cannot buy will. The basic principle of war has been unchanged for millennia – moral factors dominate over material ones“, summarizes the situation John Kirby, chief spokesman for General Lloyd Austin – US Secretary of Defense.
What will happen to the huge amount of armaments is the main question at stake the most influential regional and world powers, led by the United States, Russia, China and Iran. Their worries are as great as they are different.
The worries of the United States
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Satellite photos reveal 46 Afghan Air Force planes and helicopters deserted in Uzbekistan
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“Billions of dollars! Our latest helicopters Black Hawk will now be studied by Russia, China and everyone else because it’s the best technology in the world“- Outraged former US President Donald Trump in an interview with Fox News.
Satellite images leaked online reveal the number of Afghan helicopters and planes landing in Uzbekistan. The Asian country has close ties with Russia, and according to intelligence, they have landed there 22 planes and 24 modern helicopters.
The truth is that the majority of Afghanistan’s state administration and senior military are deserting in nearby countries.
Uzbekistan is one of Russia’s close allies, with the two countries conducting joint military exercises less than a week ago. The rulers of the former Soviet republic see China as an ever-closer partner.
Several planes have also landed in Tajikistan, one of which crashed on landing.
According to US intelligence over 25% of Afghanistan Air Force inventory ends up in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Thus, the excitement that US geopolitical opponents will be able to easily study American weapons is justified.
Among the American weapons in Uzbekistan bought for the Afghan army are the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, the Cessna AC-208B Combat Caravan aircraft, as well as the Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano propeller attack aircraft. Although there are no jet fighters, Russia or China would have a strong interest in the engines, avionics, radars and coding systems of American helicopters.
Moscow’s worries
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The Taliban now have a fleet of captured light armored vehicles
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After the withdrawal of the Americans and the desertion of the central government, the Taliban had a huge amount of small arms, ammunition, artillery, jeeps and Russian combat helicopters.
They can use weapons for aggression against a neighboring country, export of Islamic extremism and destabilization of Central Asia. That would be it big problem for Russia and China.
Moscow will have to invest and perhaps even deploy its forces along Afghanistan’s border Soviet republics to prevent further destabilization of the region.
Igor Strelkov-Girkin, who is considered an unspoken spokesman for the Kremlin and a former defense minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine, has another thesis.
“How easily the United States handed over this equipment to the Afghan army. How they “pumped” her with weapons for billions. Didn’t they know that she alone would not withstand the Taliban’s attacks for long? All this makes me suspect that there is a secret agreement between the Americans and the Taliban on the future use of these weapons.“, Strelkov told NSN.
Strelkov’s forecast is that the Taliban will be pressured to expand abroad. Not only neighboring countries but also Russia can fall victim to their weapons.
China’s worries
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Russian helicopters previously bought by the United States were captured by the Taliban
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Turning Central Asia into a zone of instability would be disastrous for China, which relies on the construction of the infrastructure megaproject “New Silk Road”. Beijing plans to spend billions to establish a rapid land connection with Europe, but a possible expansion of the Taliban and its ideology would be a major obstacle.
Another concern for China is the entry of Islamic extremists into its territory.
According to Russian analysts, it is very likely that in the future the Taliban regime will try to quell domestic discontent with foreign expansion.
Iran’s worries
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One of the many American war machines captured by the Taliban
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There are also concerns about Iran. In Afghanistan, Shiites make up 10% of the population. They live relatively encapsulated by others and may become the first target of the Sunni Taliban. If this hypothesis is realized, it is it is very likely that Iran will be embroiled in a protracted bloody conflict at its borders.
Although Russia, USA, China and Iran to have different concerns, then analysts from the two old ones are unanimous that the billions of weapons left in the hands of the Taliban could soon become a “powder keg”to blow up the region.
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