INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate has slammed the decision of the United States and Uzbekistan over the non-return of military
aircraft to Afghanistan.Dozens of planes and helicopters have been in Uzbekistan since August 2021 when pilots from the former Afghan air
force flew the aircraft to neighboring countries as they fled the country.The Islamic Emirate said on Tuesday however that Washington and
Tashkent&s decision was &unacceptable&.According to a statement issued on Tuesday, the ministry said it has asked Uzbekistan to hand over
the military aircraft, which include fighter planes and helicopters.&Any kind of deal regarding the fate of Afghan helicopters and planes in
Uzbekistan is unacceptable,& the statement read.&The Ministry of National Defense clearly declares that the United States of America does
not have the right to donate and confiscate the property of the Afghan people,& the statement added.This comes after Jonathan Henick, the
American ambassador to Tashkent, confirmed this week that the US and Uzbekistan had reached an agreement over the aircraft
He said &these vehicles never belonged to the Afghans, they belonged to the US
The Afghan army used it, but we were always the owners.&The agreement between Washington and Tashkent reportedly states that the aircraft
will remain in Uzbekistan for now.In response to this agreement, the Ministry of Defense said: &The government of Uzbekistan is expected to
refrain from any kind of transaction in this relationship and take a wise decision in consideration of good neighborly relations and
cooperate in handing over the planes of the Afghan Air Force.&The Prosecutor&s Office of Uzbekistan had announced on August 15, 2021, that
22 military aircraft and 24 helicopters of the then Afghan armed forces violated Uzbek airspace and entered the country.Among them were the
Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, UH-60 Black Hawk, MD-530 and Mi-17 models.The Islamic Emirate has however repeatedly called for the return of
these aircraft, stating they belong to Afghanistan
The post IEA&s defense ministry slams military aircraft agreement between US and Uzbekistan first appeared on Ariana News.
