The Fifth Floor: What the US left behind in Afghanistan

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 15 February 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When the American troops withdrew from Afghanistan, they left behind $7bn of military supplies. Where are they now? Hafizullah Maroof from BBC Afghan will take us inside the Kabul flea market that sells second-hand military equipment to the Taliban. Plus: the origin story of capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian sport that blends dancing and martial arts, with Joao Fellet from BBC Brazil and Debula Kemoli from BBC Africa; and how the BBC's Pronunciation unit works with Language Service journalists to make sure we get international names right, with Martha Figueroa-Clark and Jo Kim.

Presented by Faranak Amidi. Produced by Alice Gioia and Caroline Ferguson.

(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service.
0:07.7	This is the fifth floor.
0:11.5	The fifth floor, you knowsson.
0:15.6	This is the fifth floor at Farnak Amidi Sobath. This is the fifth floor at the heart of global storytelling with BBC journalists from all around the world.
0:28.9	I'm your host, Faranak Amidi.
0:36.5	In 2021, the United States withdrew their troops from Afghanistan.
0:42.8	The U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has insisted it is the right time to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan.
0:50.1	20 years after they first went in following the 9-11 attacks.
0:54.4	President Biden is set to make the formal announcement in a few hours.
0:57.9	The decision to end the military a lift operations at Kabul Airport was based on the unanimous recommendation.
1:04.6	As the NATO forces in Afghanistan withdraw, the Taliban are gaining ground.
1:09.2	They now control about a third of the country.
1:11.6	Meanwhile, it's been confirmed that the U.S. military left Bagram Airfield,
1:15.2	its key base in Afghanistan, without notifying the Afghans.
1:18.9	When the American troops pulled out,
1:21.3	they left behind $7 billion worth of military supplies,
1:26.6	including weapons and vehicles. The Taliban, who took control of military supplies, including weapons and vehicles.
1:29.3	The Taliban, who took control of the country in August 2021, got hold of this equipment.
1:36.1	You can see it displayed in their military parades, but not all of it is in the hands of the Taliban.
1:43.2	BBC Afghans, Hafizullah Maruf, has found some of these
1:46.8	supplies in a flea market in Kabul. Hafiz is here in the fifth floor studio with me. Welcome to the
1:52.3	program, Hafizalah. It's great to have you again on the program. Thank you. So remind us of the
	...

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