Deadly Kabul bombing back in headlines, US to conduct new interviews

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Sep 2023 00:29

The Abbey Gate explosion resurfaces to shed light on the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Afghan security personnel inspect the site of a suicide attack outside a bank near the US Embassy in Kabul on August 29, 2017. (AFP)

The US announced on Friday that it will examine more witnesses to a suicide bombing that killed hundreds of people, including 13 US personnel, during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The last US soldier left the Afghan capital on August 31, 2021, marking the end of nearly 20 years of brutal occupation, which led to never-ending costs of lives and dollars. Some 66,000 Afghan troops and 48,000 civilians were killed during that period.

A US investigation revealed that the August 26, 2021, Abbey Gate explosion in Kabul could not have been stopped, but Republican senators have heaped pressure on President Joe Biden's administration over the incident.

The bombing targeted crowds of people on the perimeter of Kabul airport who were desperate to get on a flight out of the country as the Taliban took power. The blast killed more than 170 people, including US troops.

Central Command (CENTCOM) Spokesperson Michael Lawhorn told AFP that the team was looking to hold 19 interviews and more if necessary.

Ex-Marine sergeant Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who was injured in the bombing and testified to lawmakers about his ordeal, made statements containing information "not previously shared by any other witness," according to Lawhorn.

In addition, other service members were not interviewed "due to their immediate medical evacuation in the aftermath of their attack," the Spokesperson added.

Lawhorn explained that the goal of the interviews was to "do our due diligence with the new information that has come to light, that the relevant voices are fully heard, and that we take those accounts and examine them seriously and thoroughly so the facts are clear."

An ISIS militant wearing a suicide vest was responsible for the bombing, two US officials and a witness told Politico in August.

Congressman seeks to impeach Austin for chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal

Last month, Republican Congressman Cory Mills announced that he had introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, citing the Secretary's handling of the chaotic withdrawal that led to the abandonment of American citizens and allies, resulting in the tragic loss of life.

Mills asserted that high-ranking officials within the Biden administration failed to heed intelligence warnings about the potential peril faced by Americans and allied personnel in Kabul. He pointed to the tragic events that unfolded two years ago, specifically the attack at Abbey Gate in Kabul, which claimed the lives of nearly 200 individuals, including 13 American servicemembers.

A June report by the State Department largely found the Biden administration to blame due to the bureaucratic lethargy and lack of awareness during the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan.

The review criticizes the handling of the most catastrophic evacuation since Saigon and details how Biden and former President Trump underestimated the military hasty withdrawal's effect on the US-backed Afghan government at the time.

Biden rebuked criticism of his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, arguing that the Taliban was acting upon a promise it made that it would not allow terrorist organizations into the country.