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 that 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 attacked based off 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.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
