Biden administration suspends arms sales to Afghanistan post-Taliban takeover

The Biden administration on Wednesday local time suspended all arms sales to the government of Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of the countryIn a notice to defense contractors posted the State Departments PoliticalMilitary Affairs Bureau said pending or undelivered arms transfers to Afghanistan had been put under review reported ABC NewsIn light of rapidly evolving circumstances in Afghanistan the Directorate of Defense Sales Controls is reviewing all pending and issued export licenses and other approvals to determine their suitability in furthering world peace national security and the foreign policy of the United States it saidThe notice said it would issue updates for defense equipment exporters in the coming daysMeanwhile US President Joe Biden said he is committed to keeping US troops in Afghanistan until every American is evacuated even if that means maintaining a military presence there beyond his August 31 deadline for withdrawalUp to 15000 Americans remain in Afghanistan after the Taliban took full control of the nation reported ABC NewsThe Biden administration has received criticism for the scenes of violence and disorder in recent days as thousands attempted to flee while the Taliban advancedMoreover the International Monetary Fund IMF said that the new Taliban government in Afghanistan will not at the current time be allowed to access loans or other resources from the 190nation lending organizationIn a statement on Wednesday the IMF said it would be guided by the views of the international communityThe statement said There is currently a lack of clarity within the international community regarding recognition of a government in Afghanistan as a consequence of which the country cannot access SDRs or other IMF resourcesSDRs are special drawing rights that serve as a reserve that IMF member countries can tap into to meet payment obligationsAfter the fall of Kabul on Sunday the Taliban have now got hold of sophisticated weapons and currency of the western superpower according to videos that have surfaced on social mediaIn one such video a man can be seen displaying hundreds of USD bundles stored in a room He is also seen opening one of the bundles and showing the US currencyIn another clip several purported Taliban members are seen strolling inside a room filled with ammunition They were displaying weapons and seem to be proud to have captured themMeanwhile according to local media reports Taliban have also captured the US militarys biometric devices compromising crucial data of the US army and the local Afghans who played crucial roles during the warThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever