タリバン戦利品を一般公開　米軍の装甲車や防爆壁　アフガン

【ガズニＡＦＰ＝時事】アフガニスタンのイスラム主義組織タリバンの勝利の証しとして、撤退した米軍の基地にあった防爆壁などが東部ガズニ州で一般公開されている。（写真は米兵の名前が書かれた壁。アフガニスタン東部ガズニ州の米軍基地跡地で）
　歴史上の兵士がやってきたように、米軍兵士も占領した基地の壁などによく名前を書き残す。タリバンが公開した防爆壁には、アフガニスタン紛争で同州に駐留した米兵の名前と連隊名が刻まれている。
　だが今この防爆壁は、米国との２０年にわたる戦闘に勝利したというタリバンの武勇伝の一部だ。
　同州を管轄するタリバンの文化当局者ハビブラ・ムジャヒド氏は「この展示によって、アフガニスタン人に、世界に、そして未来の世代に、われわれが米国人を打ち負かしたことを知らしめなければならない」とＡＦＰに語った。「たとえ彼らが世界一の大国だと称しても」
　タリバンは昨年８月１５日に首都カブールを制圧する３日前に、南へ１５０キロ離れたガズニ州の州都を掌握した。
　ガズニ州郊外の道路にも、タリバンの勝利をたたえる物が展示品のように残っている。米軍の装甲車の残がいだ。武器は奪い去られ、パンクしたタイヤはぼろぼろになっている。
　装甲車によじ登る子どもたちもいた。ここには旧ソ連の戦車の残がいも並んでいる。
　１８歳だと言うタリバンの戦闘員は「これを見ると、われわれの成果を誇りに思う」と語った。「ここで生まれたアフガニスタン人が、強大な米国に勝てることを示したのだ」
　米国が支援していたアフガニスタン政府に供与した武器は、その最後の混乱のさなか、タリバンの手に渡った。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/02/02-11:36）

In the governor's compound of Afghanistan's Ghazni province, a new exhibit is unveiled before a rapt audience of Taliban fighters -- sections of blast walls from a former US military base.
One concrete slab is inscribed with the names and regiments of US troops who served in the province during America's longest war.
Like soldiers throughout history, US troops regularly daubed their names on the walls of bases and fixed positions they occupied.
But now the towering block is on public display -- being used to bolster the Taliban's narrative of toppling US-led forces after 20 years of fighting.
We have to show this so that Afghans, the world, and future generations know that we beat the Americans, Taliban provincial culture chief Mullah Habibullah Mujahid told AFP.
Even if they called themselves the greatest power in the world.
Taliban forces took the city of Ghazni -- 150 kilometres (95 miles) south of Kabul -- three days before the capital fell on August 15.
The region has 3,500 years of rich recorded history, and the Taliban are now busy writing the latest chapter with proof of their military triumph.
The propaganda push comes as Afghanistan's new rulers struggle to evolve from an insurgency to a governing power in a country on the brink of economic collapse, with the UN estimating more than half the population is facing acute hunger.
On roads outside the city of nearly 200,000, another informal exhibition to the Taliban victory has been erected.
Rusting hulks of destroyed American armoured vehicles are on display, their weapons removed, their tyres flat and frayed.
Children clamber around and over the wreckage, which also features skeletons of abandoned Soviet tanks from the decade-long occupation of Afghanistan.
That invasion ended in humiliation for the Soviets, and -- alongside the defeat of British troops in the 19th century -- Afghans are quick to remind visitors that the country has now triumphed over three foreign empires.
We are proud of our achievement when we see this, said 18-year-old Taliban fighter Ozair, who like many in the country goes by only one name.
We showed that Afghans born here could beat America, a powerful country, he added, surveying the crumpled humvees and charred personnel carriers.
Reminders and relics of two decades of the US-led occupation of Afghanistan are scattered across the nation -- some of them usable.
Much military hardware gifted to Afghan police and armed forces fell into the hands of the Taliban in the last chaotic days of the US-backed government.
The windfall of weapons, vehicles and uniforms has given the new rulers of Kabul tangible spoils of victory.
But curating those trophies into a credible homage to the Taliban's return to power remains a challenge.
Standing at the blast walls, Mullah Habibullah Mujahid boasted that the 20 or so names inscribed included important commanders and generals killed in combat.
The ranks listed, however, were all junior -- and none of the names feature on databases of Americans killed in the war.