Taliban rejects Trump’s demand to return weapons
Last Updated on January 25, 2025 7:18 am
The Taliban government in Afghanistan has rejected the US demand to return abandoned military equipment, a source familiar with the matter said. The person, who did not want to be named, said relations between Kabul and the Trump administration have begun to fray.
Samaa TV reported on Wednesday (December 22).
The US left a large amount of military weapons and vehicles in Afghanistan when US troops withdrew in 2021. A source close to the Taliban government said they have no plans to return these weapons.
The source said that relations between the Taliban and the Trump administration have been tense since the beginning. Washington had expected Kabul to return US military equipment, but the Taliban government has made it clear that they will use these weapons for their own security and defense operations.
At the same time, the source made a controversial proposal to the US, which said that instead of recovering the abandoned weapons, the Taliban should be provided with more advanced military equipment. Through this, they can continue the fight against the Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS). ISIS is currently a major threat to the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, amid controversy, the United States has released an Afghan citizen who was sentenced to life in prison in an American court on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. The Taliban administration said on Tuesday that two American citizens held in Afghanistan were released in exchange for his release.
Afghan officials confirmed that the freed man, Khan Mohammad, had arrived in Kabul. In a video interview with local media Hurriyat, he said, “I was freed with the help of the Islamic Emirate and the grace of God.”
Mohammad Khan was arrested in eastern Afghanistan in 2006 and extradited to the United States a year later. In 2008, a US court sentenced him to life in prison, which the US Department of Justice confirmed was the first “narco-terrorism” case in the United States.
The Afghan Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the prisoner exchange was finalized after long and fruitful negotiations between the US and the Afghan administration.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the prisoner swap and said two American citizens had been released in exchange. Their identities were not disclosed.
The exchange has sparked international debate. Experts say the deal between the Taliban and the United States could pave the way for further talks and possible prisoner swaps in the future.