A new review by U.S. Central Command has found that the suicide bombing at the Kabul airport in August 2021, which killed U.S. troops and Afghans, was not preventable. The review refutes claims by some service members who believed they had a chance to take out the bomber but did not get approval. It was confirmed that the bomber was Abdul Rahman al-Logari, an Islamic State militant released by the Taliban. The bombing at the Abbey Gate during the chaotic withdrawal killed 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghans, sparking debate and criticism.
Former Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews testified that Marines were given descriptions of potential attackers and saw a man matching the description on the day of the attack. However, the review found that the “bald man in black” identified by military snipers as a potential threat was not the bomber. The team conducting the review compared photos of the bald man with al-Logari and confirmed they were not the same person. Some family members of those killed in the blast remain unconvinced by the findings, stating that they still believe their loved ones had the bomber in their sights.
The review team provided detailed briefings to families of the victims, addressing concerns raised by the initial investigation. Mark Schmitz, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, expressed relief at getting more details about his son’s death, including the fact that he was unconscious immediately after the blast and did not suffer. The team acknowledged that claims of a possible test run for the bombing could not be completely ruled out, but after reviewing evidence, they deemed it unlikely that three men seen carrying a large bag were involved in a trial run.
The review conducted interviews with service members, totaling 190 when combined with the previous investigation, to gather information on the events leading up to the bombing. The team emphasized that the attack was not preventable at the tactical level given the security situation at the airport’s Abbey Gate. This review was ordered by Army Gen. Eric Kurilla in response to criticism of the initial investigation and allegations that the attack could have been stopped. The team also confirmed reports that the Islamic State group had named the bomber on social media.
While the review brought some new details to light, it ultimately affirmed the initial investigation’s findings that the bombing was not preventable. Critics have lambasted the Biden administration for the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan, with concerns about accountability for the deadly assault. Despite the challenges faced during the evacuation, the U.S. was able to evacuate over 130,000 civilians from the country following the Taliban’s takeover of the government. The review concluded that the reports of threats prior to the bombing were too vague to prevent the tragic attack.
