The Taliban, who seized control of Afghanistan three years ago, hosted a demonstration on Wednesday at a former U.S. military base that included a large display of U.S. military equipment.
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan soon after the Biden administration withdrew U.S. troops from the region in 2021 in a chaotic operation that was widely criticized as leaving 13 soldiers dead. Marking the third anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal, Taliban members held a celebration at the former U.S. military's Bagram Air Base on Wednesday, declaring that they had returned “peace and security” to the country, even as the Afghan people continue to suffer under their rule, according to multiple reports. (Related article: 'They will try again': US rushes to thwart Islamic State resurgence in Syria)
a video Footage of the demonstration at the base showed Taliban fighters driving scores of U.S. military combat vehicles and armored vehicles along a runway as helicopters flew by, and photos of the demonstration showed a motorcade and fighters carrying rifles, launchers and other weapons.
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BREAKING: 🇦🇫🇺🇸 The Taliban conducted a military parade using US military equipment left behind after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The parade marks the third anniversary of the Taliban taking power in the country. pic.twitter.com/oZzg0RuAo5
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) August 14, 2024
More than $7 billion worth of U.S. military equipment, including vehicles, weapons, and logistical and tactical assets, was left behind in Afghanistan when the Biden administration withdrew U.S. troops in 2021. The U.S. spent tens of billions of dollars building and refurbishing Bagram Air Base, which served as a key base for U.S. forces operating in the region during the two decades of Afghanistan's war.
“The Islamic Emirate has resolved internal differences and expanded the scope of unity and cooperation within the country,” Afghanistan's Deputy Prime Minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir said in a speech at Bagram base on Wednesday. According to He told the Associated Press: “No one will be allowed to interfere in our internal affairs and Afghanistan's territory will not be used against any country.”
According to the Associated Press, about 10,000 men took part in the demonstration at Bagram Air Base; women were barred from the event.
A military parade marking the third anniversary of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan takes place at Bagram Air Base, Bagram, Parwan province, on August 14, 2024. (Photo by AHMAD SAHEL ARMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The Biden administration maintains that the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was the right policy decision, despite warnings at the time that the Taliban would overwhelm U.S.-trained Afghan forces and take control of the country. The withdrawal was sudden and appears to have been poorly planned by Washington leaders, and a suicide bombing in August 2021 during the withdrawal effort killed 13 U.S. troops.
The Biden administration, in a 2023 National Security Council (NSC) report, blamed former President Donald Trump primarily for the hasty withdrawal, citing an agreement the Trump administration struck with the Taliban in 2020 to withdraw U.S. troops by 2021. The report said President Joe Biden has sought to honor that agreement since taking office, but also acknowledged that the administration should have been better prepared for the withdrawal.
Taliban security personnel take part in a military parade marking the third anniversary of the Taliban's occupation of Afghanistan at Bagram Air Base, Bagram, Parwan province, August 14, 2024. (Photo by AHMAD SAHEL ARMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
“Biden and his administration are attempting to mislead the American people about a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan that directly led to American deaths and emboldened terrorists,” the Trump campaign said in a 2023 response to the NSC report. Trump maintains that the withdrawal would have been completed safely and securely if he had been president at the time.
“I left Afghanistan, and we left with dignity, strength and power,” Trump said. said “He lost. It was the most embarrassing day in the history of our country,” Trump said when facing off against Biden in a presidential debate in June.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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