Today marks the third anniversary of the devastating Kabul airport bombing, which took the lives of 13 brave U.S. service members.
President Trump honoured the 13 US soldiers who tragically lost their lives during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan three years ago after Joe Biden surrendered to the Taliban.
Absent from the ceremony were Joe Biden and Kamala Harris – Biden was reportedly on vacation and Harris was busy campaigning, both out of touch with the painful memories that are still fresh in the minds of many Americans.
On August 26, 2021, a suicide bomber detonated explosives at the Abiy Gate of Kabul airport, killing 13 U.S. soldiers and more than 170 Afghan civilians.
Senior military officials, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, reportedly learned of the imminent threat hours before the attack, but despite their knowledge, they failed to act decisively to protect U.S. troops and civilians.
In shocking testimony before Congress last year, US Marine Sergeant Tyler Vargas Andrews revealed that he was not authorized to shoot the suicide bomber despite clear signs that an attack was imminent.
His account paints a frightening picture: military leaders on the ground knew the danger but were paralyzed by indecisiveness and bureaucratic red tape.
At about 2 a.m. on August 26, intelligence officers spotted a suicide bomber near Abbey Gate and approaching. He was described as clean-shaven, wearing brown clothing and a black vest, and was accompanied by an older associate. I asked the officers why they had not arrested him sooner given his detailed description. I was told that his assets could not be at risk.
Throughout the day, 26 August 2021, we relayed information to ground forces about a suicide bomber at Abbey Gate. He was spotted somewhere between noon and 1pm by myself, Sergeant Charles Schilling and one other person. An unusual figure in the crowd, clean shaven, fitting the description perfectly, travelling with an older gentleman.
The individual looked nervous throughout, peering up from the crowd towards where we were. The older of the two men wore a black silk hijab that covered most of his face. Both had the telltale mannerisms that suited who we assumed they were. They periodically handed out small cards to the crowd, and the older man sat calmly, seemingly instructing the bombers.
I communicated over the communications network that there was a potential threat and an ID attack was imminent. This situation couldn’t have been more serious. I requested authority to engage while my team leader readied his M110 semi-automatic sniper system.
answer: Leadership had no authority to engage with us. Don’t engage. I asked the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Brad White, to come to the tower to see what we were doing. While we were waiting for him, a psychological operations officer quickly came to our tower and confirmed that the suspect matched the description of a suicide bomber.
When he eventually arrived, we showed him the evidence – photographs of the two men – reassured him that it would be easy to shoot a suicide bomber, and explicitly asked for the authority and permission to engage.
We asked him if we could shoot him. Our battalion commander replied, “I don’t know.” My team leader and I asked sternly, “Who knows? This is your responsibility.”
He again said he didn’t know but would look into it. We never heard anything back, we never got any answers. Eventually the individual disappeared. To this day we believe he was a suicide bomber.
We informed everyone on the ground that operations had been suspended, then resumed. Simply put, we were ignored. Our expertise was ignored. No one was held accountable for our safety.
Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, said Harris was the last person in the room when the atrocity occurred.
When the disastrous withdrawal order from Afghanistan was given, leaving 13 American soldiers dead, the last person in the room was Kamala Harris, who bragged about her role on camera. pic.twitter.com/jGEWx68pff
— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) August 26, 2024
“As I said, President Biden made the courageous and right decision to end America’s longest war,” Kamala said. statement Monday.
“Over the past three years, our Administration has demonstrated that we can eliminate terrorists, including the leaders of al Qaeda and ISIS, without sending troops to combat zones. I will not hesitate to take any action necessary to counter the terrorist threat and protect the American people and our homeland.”
As America reflects on this tragic anniversary, the Trump campaign released a poignant video reminder of the lives lost and the incompetence of the Biden-Harris administration.
clock:
Three years ago today, 13 American heroes died in the Harris-Biden administration’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal.
To this day, Kamala Harris has never uttered the names of these fallen soldiers.
President Trump will never forget them. pic.twitter.com/UHRNvTCyfV
— Team Trump (text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) August 26, 2024
