In a shocking turn of events, reports have surfaced that suggest Palestinian terror groups are in possession of U.S.-made weapons looted from Afghanistan warehouses that were left behind after the sudden pullout ordered by President Joe Biden earlier this year.
The Taliban is said to have obtained a substantial arsenal of U.S. weapons and equipment, including Black Hawk helicopters, shortly after U.S. forces deserted the country in August. The weapons are now being used by Palestinian terrorist and militia groups to carry out attacks on Israeli cities and citizens, as confirmed by an Israeli commander who spoke to Newsweek.
The news of the abandoned weapons comes as a blow to the Biden administration who has worked hard to increase diplomatic relations with Middle Eastern countries, and also to the Israeli government’s anti-terror efforts. Not only were the weapons never destroyed, but their presence has also gone unnoticed for months, giving the terrorists a considerable advantage in their battle against Israeli forces.
The discovery of these weapons also illustrates the difficulties faced by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) as they battle Palestinian terrorism within their own borders. With the newly acquired weapons, terrorist groups have been able to launch multiple and powerful attacks over the past year, and Israeli leaders have become increasingly concerned as the violence escalates.
But the IDF has also recently secured major wins in its campaign against terrorism. Just days ago, the military completed a successful operation in Jenin, a city in the West Bank where numerous terror-related activities have been taking place. The operation was successful in that all the terrorists in the area were eliminated and over a dozen major terror leaders were killed in the process.
Though the successful IDF mission is a step in the right direction, it also highlights the severity of the threat America-made weapons pose in the hands of Palestinian terrorists. Countries in the Middle East will need to band together to improve their security to prevent such weapons from entering their borders, and the U.S. will need to be more vigilant in its efforts to deplete and destroy any surplus of weapons in war zones.
The fight against terrorism in the region has also been complicated by the Biden administration’s decision to further reduce the number of troops stationed in the Middle East. The U.S. secretary of defense’s recent announcement that he is “committed to a responsible and conditions-based withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan” could have serious implications for the long-term stability of the region and the crackdown on terrorism.
Ultimately, the presence of abandoned U.S. weapons in the hands of terrorists is a testament to the need for increased security in the region and should serve as a warning sign to the Biden administration of the consequences of a rash withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Israel will have to be even more vigilant in tackling terror-related threats in the coming months, and the U.S. will need to ensure that no weapons are left behind in the future.