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Abdul Qahar Balkhi states the Taliban will keep American military hardware following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan

Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi stated that the military equipment left in Afghanistan belongs to the state of Afghanistan and the Taliban does not intend to make deals regarding state assets. This follows the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. and allied troops, during which the Taliban seized approximately $7 billion in hardware and weaponry supplied by the United States. President Trump criticized the Biden administration for abandoning the military hardware and demanded that the Taliban return the equipment. However, Abdul Qahar Balkhi rejected this demand, noting that Americans killed many people and destroyed much of the country during the war. Taliban fighters are currently using the American-funded arsenal, including armored vehicles and tactical gear, to patrol Kabul and conduct military parades. The hardware remains visible on the streets of the capital, including a Humvee with a faded Green Bay Packers sticker. The first Trump administration negotiated the Doha Agreement to end the war, while a 2023 White House summary largely attributed the withdrawal's outcome to that agreement.

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