Taliban Feel ‘Betrayed’ by US as Troops Disabled Choppers, Aircraft Before Leaving: Report
- ByStartupStory | September 3, 2021
The Taliban fighters exploded in joy as US forces left Afghanistan. They marched on the tarmac of Kabul airport, the western soldiers’ last foothold until August 31, and even fired in the air to express their joy.
But, just a few days later, everything has changed. According to Al Jazeera, the Taliban have stated that they “felt betrayed” since Americans destroyed military helicopters and planes before leaving Kabul.
The rebels stated that they anticipated the Americans to leave helicopters intact for their use. “We believe it is a national asset and we are the government now and this could have come to great use for us,” the report quotes the militant group as saying.
The Kabul airport was littered with pullout artefacts early Tuesday. There were piles of clothes, baggage, and paperwork strewn about the station. A hangar housed several CH-46 helicopters utilized by American forces. Before leaving, the US military says it crippled 27 Humvees and 73 aircraft. The Taliban now have 48 aircraft, though no information on how many of these are operational is known.
According to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, their technical experts are “repairing and cleaning” the airport and have recommended civilians to avoid the region for the time being. For the time being, the Taliban appear to be focused on resuming operations in Afghanistan, a mission that may be difficult for fighters who have spent the most of their life fighting an insurgency in the countryside.
With its last troops gone, the US ended its 20-year war with the Taliban back in power. Many Afghans remain fearful of their rule or of further instability, and there have been sporadic reports of killings and other abuses in areas under Taliban control despite the group’s pledges to restore peace and security.
“American soldiers left the Kabul airport, and our nation got its full independence,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. Now the Taliban has control all of Afghanistan except for the mountainous Panjshir province, where a few thousand local fighters and remnants of Afghanistan’s collapsed security forces have pledged to resist them. The Taliban say they are seeking a peaceful resolution there. They face much graver challenges now that they govern one of the poorest and most war-ravaged nations on Earth.
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