US weapons worth billions are now in the hands of the Taliban

As the political nightmare in Afghanistan continues to unfold, the White House has a new issue to be worried about. According to media reports on Thursday, the Taliban was able to seize United States weapons and aircraft after the quick collapse of Afghan forces who were trained to use the equipment left behind for them.

Items seized by Taliban forces include M16 rifles, M4 carbines, Black Hawk helicopters, and even an A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft. Photos have circulated of Taliban fighters carrying the US-made rifles, and witnesses report seeing Taliban forces driving US Humvees and mine-resistant vehicles that are designed to be protected from ambush.

“We don’t have a complete picture, obviously, of where every article of defense materials has gone, but certainly a fair amount of it has fallen into the hands of the Taliban,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. “And obviously, we don’t have a sense that they are going to readily hand it over to us at the airport,” he added.

What else did the White House have to say about the latest development, and how concerned are officials that the Taliban has been equipped with US weaponry?