More than two years after the abrupt withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Pentagon has decided to reexamine the Kabul bombing that resulted in the deaths of 13 Americans. In response to criticism from GOP lawmakers and military personnel, the Pentagon will conduct interviews with around two dozen new witnesses regarding the Kabul bombing, although it emphasized that this does not constitute the reopening of the investigation.
General Michael E. Kurilla, who oversees the US Central Command, ordered these interviews, stating that it is necessary “to ensure we do our due diligence” in light of new information that has come to light, as reported by The Washington Post.
The bulk of the individuals to be interviewed are service members who were severely wounded in the bombing and had to be hastily evacuated from the country. A few others, who were present at the site but not wounded, will also be interviewed. The Central Command has not ruled out the possibility of expanding the scope of the investigation if new leads emerge from these interviews.
The decision to reopen the case in part stems from claims made by one of the injured service members, who asserted that he was never interviewed and that he might have been able to prevent the attackers.
A report by The Post last year revealed that two US Marines had identified a man who matched the description of the alleged bomber and requested permission to engage him. However, permission was denied by higher command, citing the presence of too many civilians in the vicinity.
It is worth noting that the Central Command’s investigative report into the bombings, published in October 2021, stated that due to the deteriorating security situation at the airport’s Abbey Gate, “the attack was not preventable at the tactical level without degrading the mission to maximize the number of evacuees.”
Former Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who made these claims, delivered a powerful and emotional testimony before Congress earlier this year, criticizing the Biden administration for its handling of the situation.
He stated, “Plain and simple, we were ignored. My body was overwhelmed from the trauma of the blast. My abdomen had been ripped open. Every inch of my exposed body took ball bearings and shrapnel.” Vargas-Andrews lamented the lack of accountability and negligence, expressing deep regret for those they could not save.
The Kabul bombing occurred on the afternoon of August 26, 2021, as thousands of civilians, desperate to escape the Taliban regime, gathered outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport. US intelligence had failed to anticipate the timeline of the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, resulting in the chaotic situation and the eventual bombing, which claimed the lives of over 170 Afghans and 13 US servicemen.
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