Trump Says US May Seek Return of Military Equipment Left in Afghanistan

US President Donald Trump has said the United States may seek to bring back military equipment that was left behind in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of American forces in 2021. Trump made the remarks on Wednesday, June 17, while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the G7 summit. Criticising the way the Biden administration handled the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Trump said the United States could have removed all of its military equipment from the country, but that the previous administration left the equipment behind. “We may take all of that equipment back,” Trump said. “At this point, it is more symbolic because the equipment is old, but we may bring all of it back.” The US president also said that if he had been responsible for overseeing the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, he would have carried it out “with dignity and pride” while ensuring that all military equipment was removed from the country. According to an assessment by the US Department of Defense, military equipment worth more than $7 billion remained in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US forces in August 2021. Much of the equipment fell into the hands of the Taliban following the collapse of the former Afghan government. The Biden administration has previously said that the equipment had been provided to the security forces of the former Afghan government and came under Taliban control after that government fell.