Taliban to Trump on relations reset: Don't expect Humvees back
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According to the Pentagon, US forces turned over military assets worth more than $7.2 billion to Afghan troops following the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
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Taliban fighters stand guard in front of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 16, 2021. (AP)
The Taliban have shown a readiness for rapprochement with Donald Trump's administration but have maintained ownership of the military equipment and vehicles that American and NATO personnel have abandoned.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the Taliban's foreign ministry spokesman, told CBS News on Wednesday that the ruling group was ready to begin a new diplomatic chapter of interaction with the US.
"We would like to close the chapter of warfare and open a new chapter," Balkhi divulged.
When asked if the repatriation of military gear is absolutely out of the question, the Taliban spokesperson responded, "These are the assets of the state of Afghanistan. They will continue to be in the possession of the state of Afghanistan.”
According to the Pentagon, after the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, US forces turned over military assets worth more than $7.2 billion to Afghan troops.
The weaponry encompasses aircraft, air-to-ground munitions, military vehicles, combat tanks, Humvees, US track, weapons, bulletproof vests, camouflage uniforms, communications equipment, and other supplies that have deteriorated and been dismantled by the Taliban in recent years.
He further stated that there was no agreement between the US and Afghanistan on these assets, detailing how "People don't make deals on the assets of their states, they make agreements through dialogue and engagement to find spaces and areas of common interest."
