Billions spent on Afghan army ultimately benefited Taliban

By ROBERT BURNS
AP National Security Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Built and trained at a two-decade cost of $83 billion, Afghan security forces collapsed so quickly and completely — in some cases without a shot fired — that the ultimate beneficiary of the American investment turns out to be the Taliban. They have grabbed not only political power but also U.S.-made firepower. The Taliban has captured modern U.S.-supplied military equipment when overrunning Afghan forces who failed to defend district centers. That was followed by even bigger gains, including aircraft, when they rolled up provincial capitals with stunning speed, topped by capturing the biggest prize, Kabul, over the weekend.