The real cost of the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan continues to be learned at the Department of Defense, as the Pentagon continues to release reports.
Unfortunately, as the human and financial toll is further contextualized, the situation only gets more maddening.
An estimated $7.12 billion in military equipment that was entrusted by the United States to the Afghan National Forces was abandoned in the country as the Taliban swiftly took over in August 2021, which apparently includes everything from aircraft to weapons, CNN reported.
Related: Biden Has Given $1 Billion to Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan
Putting one’s cards on the table is a saying that means being honest with other people, and it takes on a brutal new level of meaning in the context of American military equipment in the hands of her enemies.
One can presume that the Taliban is not only taking advantage of these items, but there were reports back in September that Iran may have purchased American equipment from the group. There are numerous horrific failures with lasting consequences from the bungled exit, and this is certainly high up on that list.
According to the report CNN analyzed, the Department of Defense does not plan on taking any action in Afghanistan in regard to the hardware left behind.
It’s worth noting that this gross incompetence when it comes to the material items is nothing compared to how people were and still are treated because of how poorly executed the withdrawal was.
For starters, 13 American soldiers are dead and millions of Afghans are now at the mercy of the Taliban as a direct result. Afghans who helped Americans now live in fear of being targeted by the Taliban, and many already are facing the consequences of fighting for freedom.
The withdrawal was also a massive slap in the face to veterans who bravely fought in Afghanistan, as their work has been flushed down the drain.
And let’s not forget about the Gold Star families who are still grieving the loss of their loved ones from when the war was more combative.
Americans must never forget how the Biden administration dealt with abandoning the war, and how the president was not impeached over it. Even if Democrats believe that impeachment over Afghanistan is a step too far, they must be reminded of how the lives of Afghan women changed instantaneously because of the shift in power.
As former President Ronald Reagan once said, the United States is the “last stand on Earth” for freedom, which means if we get involved in another country’s affairs, we then have a duty to keep their people as liberated as possible.
