Kabul Airport Attack : Biden warns retaliation, says ‘ We will hunt you down’
Atleast 90 Afghan civilians and 13 US troops were killed and hundred others were injured as two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds of Afghans rushing to the Kabul airport in the last few days of airlift for those fleeing the Taliban takeover. Wounded men in blood- soaked clothes were hurried away in wheelbarrows to a nearby hospital. The series of blasts continued late in the night with sources reporting as many as 7 blasts in the national capital of Afghanistan.
” Bodies, flesh & people were thrown into a canal ” Milad, who was at the scene told AFP.
US President Joe Biden who has been facing severe Backslash in recent times due to his botched up decision of hurriedly withdrawing away troops from the war torn Nation promised to avenge the death of 13 servicemen killed in the line of duty. In what seemed to be an address to the extremists of the Islamic States, he said : ” To those who carried out this attack as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay.”
The calls for Joe Biden’s resignation drew wider after the news of US Military was sharing intelligence with the Taliban resurfaced. Senator John Hawley called for Joe Biden to tender his resignation while expressing sadness at the unfortunate turn of events : “Our nation is forever indebted to the brave Marines who made the ultimate sacrifice today. And we remember as well the innocent Afghanis who needlessly perished.” He further added ” We must reject the falsehood peddled by a feckless president that this was the only option for withdrawal. This is the product of Joe Biden’s catastrophic failure of leadership. ”
Senator Marsha Blackburn said Along with Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris & Secretary of State Anthony Blinken should resign too. Calls for resignation are being made by other Republican representatives as well with Anthony Sabatini memeber of the Florida House tweeting ‘ Joe Biden should resign immediately.’
US House Representative Barry Loudermilk from Georgia asked for the same. He also demanded an investigation into the failures of the Biden administration in Afghanistan.
In his address from the White House Biden also asked a moment of silence honour the fallen service members, bowing his head in reverence & asked the US flags to be half raised across the country.
The explosion, one of them outside Hamid Karzai International Airport, Abbey Gate took place when hurried evacuation efforts were taking place to evacuate as many people as possible from the war torn Nation before the August 31 deadline. Sources say death toll could be as high as 40. 11 US Mariners & a medical officer was also killed in the attack. Reacting to the referral of bombers & gunmen involved in the attack Joe Biden said ” We have some reason to believe we know who they are… not certain,” adding Knowing the threat, knowing that we may very well have another attack, the military has concluded that that’s what we should do. I think they are right.”
In what appeared to be more shocking was the abject disregard from the US President about the link up of the attack. He couldn’t clearly say how a Suicide bomber probably traded through the high perimeter border around the Kabul Airport. He added :
“There is no evidence thus far that I’ve been given as a consequence by any of the commanders in the field that there has been collusion between the Taliban and ISIS in carrying out what happened today,”
Biden also reaffirmed the August 31 deadline for all US troops to leave Afghanistan and said the US forces should fly out as many people as possible before that date.
Offering a faint response to the whole ill-worked process he said : ” We will not be deterred by terrorists. We will not let them stop our mission. We will continue the evacuation.”
A Kabul Hospital said more than 60 had been wounded & brought there for treatment. Pentagon sources also confirmed that there were incidents of heavy gunfire aimed at an Italian jet which took off just before the explosion.
Hours before the bombing the UK, US & Australian governments had updated their travel advice to avoid Kabul Airport due to a high threat of a terror attack.
“Let me be clear, while we are saddened by the loss of life, both U.S. and Afghan, we are continuing to execute the mission” Gen. Frank McKenzie, the Central Command chief who is overseeing the evacuation operation added.
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