As a result of the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Biden administration, thirteen sons and daughters have died for the United States.
The mortality toll among Afghans, however, was significantly higher, and the Afghanistan debacle’s cascading effect could have been even more lethal.
There have been numerous reports of terrorist organizations utilizing weapons abandoned in Afghanistan, including Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hamas of Pakistan and Gaza, respectively.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, as reported by Just the News, has urged an investigation into whether or not U.S. weapons that were abandoned in Afghanistan or transferred to Ukraine “fallen into the hands of terrorists.”
“It’s our duty and responsibility, if we are finding out information and being told intel that U.S. weapons have fallen into the hands of terrorists, especially with the horrific attack that just happened on Israel, it’s our duty to investigate and find out if that’s happened or not,” the congresswoman said, according to Just the News.
🚨BREAKING: Marjorie Taylor Greene is calling for the United States to work with Israel to track the serial numbers on any U.S. weapons that might have been used by Hamas against Israel to find out if they came from Afghanistan, Iran or Ukraine.
Do you support this? pic.twitter.com/jcdvAiP6wQ
— Ian Jaeger (@IanJaeger29) October 9, 2023
Greene wrote on social media Tuesday: “We need to work with Israel to track serial numbers on any U.S. weapons used by Hamas against Israel. Did they come from Afghanistan? Did they come from Ukraine? Highly likely the answer is both.”
We need to work with Israel to track serial numbers on any U.S. weapons used by Hamas against Israel.
Did they come from Afghanistan?
Did they come from Ukraine?
Highly likely the answer is both.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) October 8, 2023
Greene now says, according to Just the News, that after reports emerged in the news about weapons and from classified briefings, there is “very credible evidence and very good reasons to be concerned that U.S. taxpayer-funded military weapons did fall into the hands of Hamas and had been used to murder innocent Israelis.”
In January, NBC reported that Pakistani militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir were using firearms abandoned in Afghanistan.
According to information provided by Indian authorities to the outlet, U.S.-designated terrorist organizations, including Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, are currently in possession of M4s, M16s, and other firearms and ammunition manufactured in the United States.
As reported by The Associated Press, interim Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar of Pakistan stated in September that the Pakistani Taliban had obtained American military equipment, including night-vision goggles and firearms.
Taliban fighters posing with US weapons in a base they just captured easily. This is what we spent a trillion dollars on! pic.twitter.com/OpWoKI66ur
— Gravel Institute (@GravelInstitute) August 14, 2021
According to CNN, the United States left in Afghanistan approximately $7 billion worth of equipment and ammunition, including aircraft, air-to-ground munitions, military vehicles, weaponry, communications equipment, and other materials.
It's possible Hamas was sold weapons from Ukraine as well, not just Afghanistan.
And the US political class is now calling for military support of Israel as a result.
Prior intervention begets future intervention. This is how blowback always works. https://t.co/EAuAbmue7P
— Mises Caucus (@LPMisesCaucus) October 8, 2023
In addition, there have been reports that weapons left in Afghanistan were also used in Ukraine and Israel.
According to a report by Newsweek earlier this year, Israel is reportedly apprehensive regarding the potential for weapons supplied by the United States and Western nations to Ukraine to reach its adversaries in the Middle East, specifically Iran.
Additionally, a commander from Israel informed the news outlet that Palestinian groups operating in the Gaza Strip have been spotted in possession of U.S. small arms abandoned in Afghanistan.
Nils Duquet, coordinator of the European Commission-funded Project INSIGHT and director of the Flemish Peace Institute in Brussels, stated to Newsweek that the situation in Ukraine was comparable.
According to Newsweek, CNN has also reported on evidence that Russia is supplying Iran with U.S. munitions captured in Ukraine for the purpose of reverse engineering.
At its core, the abandonment of significant military assets and weaponry in Afghanistan has far-reaching consequences, instilling concerns that not only Hamas but also other extremist factions in the Middle East may obtain them.
Others in Congress should support Greene’s call for an investigation, if only to gain an understanding of the consequences of failing to secure our technology and weaponry and to gain insight into the magnitude of the worldwide devastation that the Biden administration’s incompetence and dereliction may have caused.