Taliban holds military parade to mark anniversary of US ousting

You could be forgiven for thinking this large display of military hardware was a parade in Texas, or even an exhibition in Moscow, but no, this is the Taliban. Still very heavily armed thanks to their ousting of occupying American forces, and the withdrawal debacle that saw the US leave hundreds of millions of dollars worth of military hardware behind. August 15 marks ‘Afghan Jihad’ day, the anniversary of the Taliban’s conquering of Kabul. And Afghan Jihad Eve also marks a parade of Afghanistan’s impressive collection of armaments.

The parade in Bagram yesterday featured not only US-made vehicles and aircraft, but also Soviet era weaponry, and domestic weapons used in the insurgency campaign that ultimately triumphed over America’s raw firepower. The event was attended by senior members of the Taliban, and invited foreign diplomats. Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund hailed the events of three years ago, called them a ‘decisive victory over an international arrogant and occupying force.’