Rahman Samkanai, governor of Paktita province in the east of Afghanistan claims that billions of dollars worth of equipment has been stolen by local officials and others from a camp the US handed to Afghan forces back in 2014.
Many officials involved in plundering the base
The Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) based called Camp Kearney is just a five-minute drive east of the governor's compound. Samkanai said that many officials took material from the remains of the base after it was handed over to the Afghans by the US. Samkanai said: “There was equipment worth seven billion dollars at the PRT base and all of them were looted. Former governors, commanders, mayors, directors, parliament members all are involved in this act. They entered the PRT base and looted it. Based on my information, they even looted locked containers full of computers, weapons, and even Humvees and Pickup vehicles had existed at the base.” The governor said everyone has been entering the base since it was handed over by t the Americans and taking everything that was not nailed down.
Samkanai took office of governor of Paktika just four months ago. He did not name anyone specifically who had been involved in theft from the base.
Even the Paktika police chief, Gen. Ghulam Lewanai , admitted that military equipment at the base is missing. Lewanai said: “I have shared the issue with the Ministry of Interior and the issue was also discussed in the provincial administration session and was also discussed in the coordination council that old equipment is on the verge of destruction, so let’s use the equipment for strengthening our strongholds instead of being destroyed by dust.”
The response of a local resident
Paktita resident Yaqub Manzoor said:" According to fresh information, equipment worth $1billion still exist at the base and the rest of are either broken, looted or stolen. There is also some information that some Humvees have been sent and sold to Pakistan as iron parts."
No sign yet that the Afghan government will take action against the looters
While there was no sign that most of the removal of material was legal or authorized it is not at all clear that the Afghan government intends to charge anyone as a result of the thefts. It is reasonably clear that the looting was done by officials with access to the materials. It is not clear who has the looted goods. Although the Afghan government might recover some of the pilfered material if it tried no doubt much is already sold off. The responsible officials could remain untouched as the government does not want to start political conflict.
The appended video shows the dismantling of the main UK Afghan base. The UK appears to have taken much equipment and material back to the UK rather than give it to the Afghans.
Previously published in the DIgital Journal
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