A recent report by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has confirmed longstanding concerns over the diversion of US taxpayer-funded weapons and equipment to the Taliban regime.
The report highlights that billions of dollars’ worth of military materiel left behind during the 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan now form the core of the Taliban’s security apparatus.
According to the 137-page document, the US Department of Defence (DoD) had provided Afghanistan’s National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) with approximately $7.1 billion in equipment and materials. From 2002 to June 30, 2025, the US obligated $31.2 billion to the ANDSF, with $19.7 billion used for equipping and transporting forces.
This included 96,000 ground vehicles, over 51,000 light tactical vehicles, nearly 900 armored combat vehicles, more than 427,000 weapons, 17,400 night-vision devices, and 162 aircraft, 131 of which were operational as of mid-2021.
Beyond military assets, the US has remained Afghanistan’s largest donor post-Taliban takeover, disbursing over $3.38 billion. SIGAR’s report echoes earlier recommendations for the US Department of State and USAID to ensure funds are not diverted to terrorist groups, noting that UN shipments of US currency have also indirectly benefited the Taliban.
The findings align with Pakistan’s concerns over the use of Western-provided weapons by terrorist groups based in Afghanistan, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Last month, the UN Security Council’s Daesh and Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee recognized the threat posed by TTP, reporting that the group, with around 6,000 fighters, has carried out multiple high-profile attacks in Pakistan from Afghan territory, supported logistically and materially by the de facto authorities.
The SIGAR report underscores the broader regional implications of US-supplied equipment in Afghanistan, highlighting how material intended for stabilization has, in some cases, strengthened a regime and armed groups considered a threat to regional security, confirming Islamabad’s warnings regarding the misuse of Western aid and weaponry.
