The United States National Security Council spokesman John Kirby has reacted sharply to the suggestion that military equipment left by American forces in Afghanistan fell into the hands of militants and created security problems for countries in the region including Pakistan. However, the spokesperson said that Washington would work with Pakistan to counter the threat it faced from Afghanistan border.
At one point, a Pakistani journalist said, “Groups like ISIS, al-Qaida, and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, many others, also gained the control of the military equipment, about $7 billion, left behind by American forces.”
Kirby interrupted him with “whoa, whoa, whoa, say that last part again?”
When the journalist said that militants gained the control of the military equipment left behind by American forces in Afghanistan, Kirby stopped him there.
“Just let me stop you right there.”
He then vociferously rejected the notion that the US abandoned military hardware in Afghanistan.
“There was no equipment left behind by American forces. There was a small amount of equipment and some aircraft at the airport when we finished our evacuation efforts, but they were all rendered unusable as we left. In fact, the only thing that we left – we left that the Taliban could take advantage of was some airport mechanic capabilities: tow trucks and trucks with ladders on them, and that kind of thing; I think some firefighting equipment.”
