Taliban Rolls In U.S. Armor

Five years after the U.S. exit, Taliban fighters still patrol Afghan streets with American guns and gear, a stark reminder of a costly handoff that never should have happened.

Story Snapshot

A U.S. watchdog says about $7.1 billion in equipment stayed in Afghanistan after the 2021 withdrawal.
CBS News shows Taliban units using American weapons, vehicles, and tactical gear in 2026.
Taliban officials reject returning the gear, calling it Afghan state property.
U.S. officials earlier claimed much equipment was disabled, but large stockpiles still changed the balance.

What New Reporting Shows On The Ground

CBS News reported Taliban forces carrying American rifles, wearing American body armor, and driving American armored vehicles in Kabul and other cities, five years after the U.S. withdrawal. Video from the network shows routine patrols with U.S.-made equipment visible on the streets. A Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman said the seized gear is the property of the Afghan state and will not be returned, closing the door on any transfer or buyback talks with the United States.

The visuals matter because they confirm an ongoing, practical effect. Taliban fighters are not just posing with trophies. They are using this gear to police cities, deter rivals, and project control. That makes local resistance harder and raises risks for former U.S. partners still in-country. It also shows how a rushed change of power can turn years of aid into tools for the side that won the final day of the war.

What The U.S. Government Has Documented

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction reported the Defense Department estimated about $7.12 billion in equipment for Afghan forces remained in the country after August 2021. The same report said the Taliban took possession of more than 300,000 light arms, 26,000 heavy weapons, and about 61,000 vehicles, though conditions varied by item and location. Those numbers outline scale. They do not mean every item works. But they explain why Taliban units now appear better equipped.

Right after the evacuation, U.S. officials said troops demilitarized aircraft and many systems at the Kabul airport so the Taliban could not use them. A Pentagon spokesman said the group could look at the aircraft but could not fly them. That claim covered a slice of gear at the airport during the final days, not the vast stock transferred over years to Afghan units across the country. The gap between those two realities drives today’s debate.

Why This Resonates With Americans Across The Spectrum

Taxpayers see sunk costs and a stronger Taliban. People on the right point to failed planning and waste. People on the left point to mission drift and a system that could not track or secure what it bought. Both sides see a government that promised accountability, then lost the thread when it most mattered. The watchdog’s numbers and the fresh footage from Kabul make those frustrations feel earned, not imagined.

The Taliban Foreign Ministry says US weapons and military equipment left in Afghanistan will not be returned. Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi told CBS that the equipment now belongs to Afghanistan.https://t.co/Z0nuWDqiSw pic.twitter.com/ox8YV3jDew

— Afghanistan International English (@AFIntl_En) September 8, 2026

The deeper issue is basic stewardship. The United States spent years training and equipping Afghan forces. When the government collapsed, much of that kit changed hands in days. That is a known risk in wars like this, yet our systems did not prevent it. Clear steps now include tighter end-use tracking in future aid, faster plans to remove or destroy sensitive gear during drawdowns, and frank public reporting when those plans fall short.