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MoD demands US and NATO hand over military equipment during withdrawal
The Afghan government is set to formally demand US and NATO hand over their military equipment during the withdrawal process, the Afghan Ministry of Defense said Thursday.
But US-led Resolute Support Mission has not yet said whether it will hand over military equipment to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) or not.
However, the Afghan government, the United States and NATO have set up a joint commission to oversee the transfer and withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
According to the US government and NATO alliance, the mission of support in Afghanistan is to end on September 11 by which time all foreign forces will be out of the country.
The Afghan army is meanwhile waiting for the foreign troops to hand over their remaining military bases and equipment to the ANDSF, something the Afghan government may formally demand from the United States and NATO, a Ministry of Defense spokesman said.
“Absolutely, we need this military equipment and we want the United States to hand it over to us,” said Fawad Aman, deputy spokesman for the MoD.
However, military analysts said the United States destroyed a lot of its equipment in 2014 and what’s left will be shipped home.
Some experts said that their weapons and military tanks are equipped with sensitive technology which the US military will not want to leave behind.
“Foreigners will not provide the military equipment to Afghans to protect themselves. This equipment is very advanced,” said Assadullah Nadim, a military expert.
Five months ago, the Afghan Senate said that when US troops leave Afghanistan, they destroy their military bases and destroy their equipment or move it to Pakistan. The house at the time called for government action, but government has not yet responded.
“Handing over equipment to Pakistan means the US is launching a war through the Taliban,” said Sarwar Niyazi, another military expert.
A source meanwhile said the Afghan government has set up a joint commission with Resolute Support to support the transfer of military equipment and bases of foreign forces securely to the Afghan forces – a commission headed by Hamdullah Moheb, National Security Advisor.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Finance, Mohammad Nasir Akhund, has travelled to Iran at the head of a delegation following an official invitation from Iran’s Minister of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance said.
During the visit, Akhund is expected to meet with various Iranian officials to discuss bilateral economic, trade, customs and other related issues.
The visit will also include discussions on key topics for an upcoming meeting of the joint economic commission between Afghanistan and Iran.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, on Saturday inaugurated the rehabilitated 110-kilovolt (kV) power transmission line connecting Maimana and Andkhoy in Faryab province.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for Economic Affairs, the completion of the project will provide around 60,000 consumers with a more stable and reliable electricity supply.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Baradar said the project would help meet local electricity needs, expand industrial activities and contribute to the region’s economic and social development.
He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) had implemented several electricity generation and transmission projects in a relatively short period, reducing reliance on imported electricity and power outages while creating new opportunities for industrial growth.
Baradar also said several major electricity infrastructure projects would be implemented over the next year to ensure a sustainable power supply, adding that the country’s existing electricity capacity would increase several times.
Addressing Afghanistan’s security situation, Baradar said the country was currently experiencing a level of security that he claimed was unmatched in most countries. He added that foreign tourists and visitors had continued to travel to Afghanistan since the IEA returned to power, including to remote areas of the country.
He rejected security-related concerns raised by some countries over travel to Afghanistan, describing them as unfounded and politically motivated. He called on the international community to strengthen meaningful engagement with Afghanistan based on realities on the ground.
Baradar also invited domestic and foreign investors to invest in Afghanistan, saying a secure and suitable environment had been created for large- and medium-scale investments.
The UN refugee agency’s representative in Afghanistan has called on the international community to maintain their support for Afghanistan, warning that the return of more than 6.5 million Afghans over the past three years has placed significant pressure on the country.
Arafat Jamal, UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan, made the remarks during the eighth International Conference on Action with Women and Peace in Seoul, South Korea, where he highlighted the challenges facing returnees amid poverty, drought and climate-related disasters.
He said the returning population accounts for around 15 percent of Afghanistan’s total population, describing the influx as one of the world’s largest movements of people. He added that Afghanistan was struggling to absorb the large-scale returns due to its existing economic and humanitarian challenges.
Jamal also highlighted difficulties facing Afghan women, saying that the absence of war does not necessarily mean all citizens enjoy safety.
In a separate interview with The Korea Times during his visit to Seoul, Jamal said supporting refugees and vulnerable countries was not simply an act of charity but an investment in a safer and more stable international environment.
He stressed that Afghanistan’s strategic location, bordering seven countries including China, Pakistan and Iran, makes its stability a matter of wider international concern. Although the country is relatively calm at present, he cautioned that this situation should not be taken for granted without continued international support.
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