Originally published October 9, 2023 2:23 pm PDT
A commander in the Israeli forces said that weapons left behind in President Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal are being used for terrorist attacks against Israel.
QUICK FACTS:
- An Israeli commander said that U.S. weapons left behind during President Joe Biden’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal in August 2021 are now being used by terror groups in the Gaza Strip, Newsweek reported in June.
- The high-ranking commander said that Israel was also concerned over the risks of weapons provided by the United States to Ukraine ending up in terrorists in the Middle East.
- The commander was concerned that Iran could now “research capabilities and then learn how to manufacture them.”
- “One is that they can research capabilities, and then learn how to manufacture them. I’m talking especially about Iran,” he said at the time. “The other problem is that we are very worried that some of these capabilities are going to fall to Hezbollah and Hamas’ hands.”
- In response to Biden giving Iran $6.2 billion dollars last month, Trump last month predicted the money would be used to “fuel” terrorism all over the Middle East, which ended up coming to fruition this past weekend.
- “Can you believe that Crooked Joe Biden is giving $6 Billion to the terrorist regime in Iran? That money be used for terrorism all over the Middle East, and, indeed, the World. This incompetent FOOL is absolutely destroying America. He had the audacity to announce this terrible deal today, September 11th. To pay for hostages will lead to kidnapping, ransom, and blackmail against Americans across the globe. I freed many dozens of our people from various unfriendly countries and never paid a dime!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sept 11.
FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ON CUTTING OFF FUNDS TO PALESTINIAN TERRORISTS:
“As president, I will once again stand with Israel and we will cut off the money to Palestinian terrorists on day one,” Trump said in Iowa on Saturday while campaigning ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
BACKGROUND:
- A February 2023 report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) claimed the Taliban has nearly $7.2 billion worth of ammunition, weapons, and aircraft left from Biden’s 2021 Afghanistan military withdrawal.
- “In March 2022, DOD submitted a report to Congress that includes estimates on the status and condition of U.S.-provided weapons and equipment left in Afghanistan following the withdrawal,” the report read.
- The materials now in Taliban possession include “at least 78 aircraft worth $923.3 million, 9,524 air-to-ground munitions valued at $6.54 million, over 40,000 vehicles, more than 300,000 weapons, and nearly all night vision, surveillance, communications, and biometric equipment provided to the ANDSF [Afghan National Defense and Security Forces] were left behind.”
- A Department of Defense (DoD) spokesperson told SIGAR that there “currently is no realistic way to retrieve the material that remains in Afghanistan, given that the United States does not recognize the Taliban as a government.”
- The report noted that with the materials, the Taliban now “patrol in pickup trucks and armored vehicles likely procured by the U.S.”
- The Taliban’s special operations units, Badri 313, “wear helmets with night vision mounts likely provided by the United States, and carry U.S.-provided M4 rifles equipped with advanced gunsights.”
- SIGAR’s report also describes the Taliban’s use of “more advanced U.S.-provided equipment,” such as Mi-17 helicopters.
- In July 2023, President Biden claimed he made no mistakes over the Afghanistan withdrawal, which resulted in 13 American deaths and more injured.
- “Mr. President, do you admit failure in Afghanistan? Mistakes? There was a — there was a report on Afghanistan withdrawal, saying there was failure, mistakes. Do you admit there was mistakes during the withdrawal and before?” one journalist asked Biden.
- “No, no. All the evidence is coming back. Do you remember what I said about Afghanistan? I said al-Qaeda would not be there. I said it wouldn’t be there. I said we’d get help from the Taliban. What’s happening now? What’s going on? Read your press. I was right,” Biden said at the time.
