Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

American ‘war loot’ seized by the Taliban? They’re actually old Soviet tanks
France 24 ^ | 09/03/2021 14:41

Posted on 09/03/2021 11:58:31 AM PDT by Olog-hai

A video has been circulating online since August 30 showing rows of tanks, which the caption claims are American army vehicles that have fallen into the hands of the Taliban. However, they’re actually old Russian tanks that have been abandoned since the end of the Soviet Union’s military intervention in the country (1979-1989), near the airport in Kandahar in the south of the country. Satellite images prove that these vehicles haven’t been moved in years and are very likely unusable.

After the final evacuation of American soldiers from Kabul airport on August 30, there has been a lot of speculation online about what they left behind that could be seized by the Taliban. […]

The video was shared by the French center-right politician Éric Ciotti in a tweet. He wrote, “It’s scandalous, the US has left hundreds of tanks, helicopters and other war vehicles to terrorists.” […]

While the video does show tanks in Afghanistan, that’s the only thing that Ciotti got right in his tweet. Military experts and aficionados of war paraphernalia were quick to point out to Ciotti that the tanks were Soviet models. Nicholas Drummond, a British army veteran and land warfare specialist, explained that among the tanks seen in the video are T-54s and T-55s — models that were built in the mid-20th century. …

(Excerpt) Read more at observers.france24.com ...


TOPICS: Local News; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; banglist; defendbiden; heylookasquirrel; lookasquirrel; rop; soviettanks; taliban; waronterror
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-22 last
To: Olog-hai
In the video posted to accompany this thread two days ago, the only tanks I could make out were T-62s, a Soviet "monkey tank." There might have been the odd T-55 in there too but I couldn't say for certain because of the shit ... I mean Shiite ... camera work.

There also were lots of BRDM and BMP armored fighting vehicles, also Soviet, scattered about.

And just because spy satellites haven't noticed a certain Soviet vehicle moving in the last 40 years doesn't mean it can't be driven out of the motor pool with nothing more than a fresh battery and a gallon of diesel.

21 posted on 09/03/2021 5:53:23 PM PDT by Paal Gulli
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

#8 Biden wants you to scrub that information....


22 posted on 09/03/2021 10:05:53 PM PDT by minnesota_bound (I need more money. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-22 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson