Taliban Parades With US Equipment
Photo : AP
The Taliban celebrated the third anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan with a massive parade at a former US air base in Bagram. Visuals on social media showed its members marching with equipments, including helicopters, Humvees, and tanks., the United States and NATO left behind when it withdrew from the war-torn country in 2021.
“The Islamic Emirate eliminated internal differences and expanded the scope of unity and cooperation in the country,” Deputy Prime Minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir said. “No one will be allowed to interfere in internal affairs, and Afghan soil will not be used against any country.
Three other speakers spoke at the event, but not one adressed the challenges Afghans are facing in everyday life. The Associated Press reported their women were barred from the event, including female journalists from The AP, Agence French-Presse and Reuters.
However, videos of troops marching with an array for US equipment and displaying the Taliban flag has sparked criticism of the Biden-Harris administration.
“The Taliban held a parade today showcasing all the equipment Joe Biden and Kamala Harris gave them,” one person said on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. They also posted a video of the parade.
“The Taliban just held a military parade with our equipment that was left during the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. Kamala was the “last person in the room” when the decisions were made regarding the withdrawal. Around $7B worth of equipment was left,” another person added.
