Trump Blames Biden For Abbey Gate Attack, Calls Afghanistan Withdrawal A“Catastrophe”
In a statement released by the White House on Wednesday, Trump paid tribute to the 13 US service members killed in the suicide bombing at Kabul airport and sharply criticized Biden's handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Trump said the US withdrawal left American troops“defenseless” and described Biden's decision as a“totally botched withdrawal.” He also repeated his claim that the withdrawal allowed the Taliban to free“thousands of terrorists and criminals” held at Bagram Prison.
The bombing took place on Aug. 26, 2021, at Abbey Gate outside Hamid Karzai International Airport during the final days of the US-led evacuation from Afghanistan. The attack was claimed by Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) and killed 13 US service members and about 170 Afghan civilians, according to US military reviews.
Trump has repeatedly argued that the Biden administration mishandled the withdrawal and made the evacuation more dangerous for US troops and Afghan civilians. His criticism has been a recurring theme since the chaotic end of the US military mission in Afghanistan.
The White House statement comes as the Pentagon is conducting a separate review of the Abbey Gate attack and the final stages of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Biden has previously defended his decision to end the US military mission in Afghanistan, while acknowledging that the evacuation was“messy” and unfolded more quickly than expected. He has also argued that the withdrawal followed an agreement negotiated between the Trump administration and the Taliban in 2020.
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