Tracking Weapons in Afghanistan

Yes, it's a logistical nightmare, and yes it's a pain in the butt. But the US is still struggling to keep track of the weapons floating around the country.

Before stepping inside the underground bunker at the Afghan National Police headquarters in this southern city last week, U.S. troops were warned that there might be some unexploded mortar shells rolling around.
One by one, the troops pulled out long wooden boxes filled with weapons and ammunition seized from Taliban fighters and other insurgent groups.

Many of the decrepit weapons are common finds for them. Soviet-era AK-47s. DHSKA heavy machine guns. A couple of times, they've found something even rarer: a Pattern 1914, a British-designed rifle deemed obsolete in the 1940s.

"It's mind-boggling to see some of this stuff," Marine 1st Lt. Jon Farrar said. "They've had this hoarding mentality, thinking maybe they can fix them. Many of these weapons, if I tried to fire them, they'd probably blow up."

Even though some of those discoveries would thrill weapons collectors, they are not what the Americans are looking for. Farrar is part of Joint Task Force 1228, a group created by Congress last year to ensure better accounting of the 418,000 weapons, 51,000 vehicles and millions of rounds of ammunition the United States has purchased to equip the Afghan security forces.

By: Brant