25 years after Sept. 11 attacks, Taliban rules Afghanistan again, but now with $7 billion in U.S. firepower

Key Points:

• Five years after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Taliban fighters continue to use billions of dollars worth of American-purchased military equipment, including vehicles, weapons, and tactical gear, visibly patrolling Kabul's streets.
• Former President Trump has criticized the Biden administration for what he calls a mishandled withdrawal that left U.S. military hardware behind, demanding the Taliban return the equipment, though the Taliban considers it state property.
• The Taliban's use of American-funded weaponry has helped transform it from an insurgent group into a state military force that enforces a strict interpretation of Islamic law, severely restricting women's rights and freedoms.
• The Biden administration has defended its decision to end the "forever war," emphasizing that American troops should not fight in conflicts Afghan forces are unwilling to sustain, while a 2023 review largely blamed the Trump administration for the terms of the withdrawal deal.
• The war in Afghanistan resulted in over 2,400 U.S. military deaths and tens of thousands of Afghan civilian casualties, with the Taliban's resurgence marking a complex and controversial end to America's longest war.