Staff Reports
In the final days of President Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, there was chaos and tragedy. A bombing by ISIS-K at the Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) killed 13 U.S. service members and many Afghans. Lawmakers are now questioning the Biden administration’s response to the attack, demanding answers about the investigations into the bombing.
A letter from House Foreign Affairs Committee members, led by Chairman Michael McCaul and Rep. Mike Waltz, raised concerns about newly released video footage that contradicts the official conclusions of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) investigations into the bombing. The video footage, taken from a Marine’s helmet camera, showed gunfire following the suicide bombing, which was inconsistent with CENTCOM’s findings.
New Video 'Directly Contradicts' the Biden DoD's Conclusions About Abbey Gate Bombing
https://t.co/0JMlwrJTV5— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 9, 2024
Lawmakers highlighted the discrepancy in the amount of gunfire reported at Abbey Gate during the attack. The letter also mentioned that an investigation team member from CENTCOM previously stated there was “nearly simultaneous gunfire from three separate points,” which appeared to conflict with the video evidence showing multiple bursts of gunfire over several minutes.
Additionally, the lawmakers questioned why the Afghan doctor mentioned in the CNN report was not interviewed, and why journalists had access to the video footage before the Department of Defense. They called for the immediate release of any additional footage in the department’s possession.
As Memorial Day approached, lawmakers emphasized the importance of honoring the fallen service members and urged the Biden administration to address the inconsistencies between the CENTCOM investigation results and the new video evidence.
