US military investigating Kabul airport bombing again

The U.S. military has opened a new inquiry into the August 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 American service members, deciding to conduct more interviews on the deadly attack after concluding a probe into the incident roughly two years ago.

Gen. Eric Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command, ordered military personnel to interview more service members injured in the bombing, responding to concerns that some information was overlooked in the original probe. The decision alone does not constitute an entire reopening of the case.

“The purpose of these interviews is to ensure we 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,” said Michael Lawhorn, a spokesperson from Central Command, in a statement.

The news comes after Republicans have hammered the Biden administration for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Among the major concerns about the retreat is the suicide bombing attack at Abbey Gate, which wounded 45 Americans and killed 170 Afghans, in addition to the 13 U.S. service members who died.

Republicans have raised questions about the incident and why the suicide bomber was not engaged before he attacked the airport, pointing to possible broken communication lines or fractured command structures that prevented the U.S. military from neutralizing the hostile.

One former Marine, Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who was deployed as a sniper at the time, testified to Congress he was told not to engage the suicide bomber because his superior was unsure who could approve the attack.

Central Command wrapped up its investigation into the Abbey Gate attack in November 2021 after interviewing more than 100 witnesses and reviewing thousands of pages of documents. The probe concluded that the military leadership was “appropriately engaged” during the attack.

In June, Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, head of U.S. Army Central, began a new review into the Kabul attack based on the testimony from Vargas-Andrews, according to Lawhorn.

After concluding the new review in August, Lawhorn said the former Marine’s statements “contained new information not previously shared by any other witness,” and led to additional witnesses that were previously unknown.

“These interviews will seek to determine whether those not previously interviewed due to their immediate medical evacuation possess new information not previously considered,” he said, “and whether such new information, if any, would affect the results of the investigation, and to ensure their personal accounts are captured for historical documentation.”

A report on any additional findings could come in the next three months or so because there is a tentative 90-day deadline for the new inquiry.

The Afghanistan retreat has led to a House Republican investigation into the Biden administration’s planning for the withdrawal.

In a brief report, the White House this year pinned the blame for the withdrawal on the Trump administration while acknowledging better planning and coordination for evacuations is needed in the future.

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, a Pentagon watchdog, said last year that decisions and policies made during the Trump and Biden administrations contributed to the outcome.