U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan during the presidency of Joe Biden as “disastrous,” saying the process will be recorded as a “stain on history.”
Rubio made the remarks in a statement marking the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attack at Kabul’s airport, in which he paid tribute to the 13 U.S. service members who were killed.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, August 26, Rubio said the attack at Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. service members, more than 160 Afghan civilians, and injured 45 other American military personnel.
Expressing his condolences to the families of the victims, Rubio said the administration of President Donald Trump remains committed to honoring the memory of those killed in the attack, as well as all those who lost their lives during the 20 years of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan.
He added that the U.S. government would seek to provide the answers that, in his words, the American people expect regarding these events, while emphasizing the importance of commemorating the victims of the war in Afghanistan.
In a separate post on the social media platform X, the U.S. Secretary of State said the United States would never forget the service members killed in the Kabul airport attack. He also stressed that Washington would not allow U.S. military personnel to once again face what he described as “such a betrayal.”
The suicide bombing on August 26, 2021, took place at Kabul’s airport during the final days of the foreign military presence in Afghanistan. At the time, thousands of Afghan and foreign nationals had gathered around the airport in an effort to leave the country following the Taliban’s return to Kabul.
The Khorasan branch of ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. It was one of the deadliest incidents during the Afghanistan evacuation operation, killing 13 U.S. service members and more than 160 Afghan civilians.
The Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan faced widespread criticism from Republicans and a number of members of Congress. Critics described the execution of the withdrawal as rushed and lacking adequate planning for its security implications.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
