Trump pays tribute to soldiers killed in attack on Afghanistan withdrawal

Former President Donald Trump on Monday took part in a wreath-laying ceremony honoring U.S. soldiers who died during the withdrawal from Afghanistan three years ago.

Trump was with family members of the victims at Arlington National Cemetery. Bill Barnett, the grandfather of Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover, who was killed in the attack, accompanied Trump as they laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

President Biden and Vice President Harris also paid tribute to the soldiers killed years ago and those who lost their lives in Afghanistan over the past two decades.

“They were sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, spouses and friends,” President Biden wrote in a statement. “No matter how much time passes, the pain of their loss will remain real and intact. And so will the pride we feel in their service.”

“These 13 devoted patriots represent the best of what America has to offer. They put our beloved nation and their fellow Americans above themselves, putting themselves in harm's way to ensure the safety of their fellow citizens,” Harris said in a statement.

A government investigation found that an Islamic State suicide bomber was responsible for the attack that killed the soldiers and more than 100 Afghans. The attack occurred four days before the U.S. withdrawal from the country, ending the longest war in American history.

The withdrawal plans were started under Trump and implemented under Biden. The Biden administration oversaw the US withdrawal from the country after Trump signed a peace agreement with the Taliban to end the war.

A military review of the bombing found that the attack could not have been avoided “without compromising the mission of maximising the number of evacuees”.

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Trump criticized the Biden administration for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the chaotic scenes that unfolded in August 2021. The Biden administration, however, has shifted responsibility to the conditions in which it was left by Trump. An earlier report on the administration's withdrawal said its decisions were “severely constrained” by the conditions created, while a State Department report said “during both administrations, there was insufficient consideration at the highest levels of worst-case scenarios and how quickly they could occur.”

Trump continued his criticism on Monday when he spoke at the National Guard Association of the United States conference.

“The humiliation in Afghanistan caused by Kamala Harris and Joe Biden triggered the collapse of American credibility and respect around the world,” Trump said, trying to link Harris to Biden's record.

Vice President Harris called the decision to end the war “right” and “courageous.”

“The Biden-Harris administration inherited a mess from Donald Trump. Trump wants America to forget that he had four years to withdraw from Afghanistan but failed to do so. He has only continued our longest war. Trump cannot be trusted to keep us safe, but Vice President Harris is a proven leader on the world stage and will use her expertise to keep America safe, defeat our adversaries and stand by our allies around the world,” said Harris campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa.

Meanwhile, Trump also announced that he would fire senior officials linked to the “Afghanistan disaster” and hinted that he would not “give up” on Bagram Air Base, arguing that the world had been more peaceful under his administration.

“Nothing like this has ever happened before. It's the wrong base. They shouldn't have taken the soldiers out first. They should have taken the soldiers out last. That's where we would have liked to be. They took the soldiers out first and made a big deal out of it at our expense and our reputation,” Trump said.

However, officials deny his claim that he plans to keep troops at Bagram Air Base.

The agreement reached between the Trump administration and the Taliban does not include any provisions to maintain the base, a senior administration official said.

“Trump wanted to leave Afghanistan completely. I don't recall any mention of keeping Bagram Air Base, let alone stationing U.S. troops to secure it,” said a former senior administration official.

“That was never part of the discussion with him. The plan that President Trump was briefed on included a plan to go to zero,” said a retired senior military official, also pointing out: “When he left office, he set the plan at 2,500 and left the final decision to President Biden.”

In their statements, Biden and Harris reaffirmed their commitment to preventing attacks.

“Over the past three years, our administration has proven that we can eliminate terrorists, including the leaders of al-Qaida and ISIS, without deploying troops in combat zones,” Harris said in the statement.

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According to a senior government official, the government believes the situation in Afghanistan poses a challenge for terrorist groups. Intelligence believes that al-Qaeda's presence is minimal and has not rebuilt since August 2021. In addition, the organization does not have the ability to launch attacks against the United States from Afghanistan, according to a senior government official. ISIS-K's capabilities in Afghanistan are said to have been weakened.

And a retired senior military official warned of the possibility of looking to Afghanistan and especially to al-Qaeda and ISIS-K.

“I think the likelihood of an attack increases every month because we don't have visibility into Afghanistan, which is actually quite limited, and our ability to get involved in Afghanistan is even more limited,” the retired official said. He explained that with other events in the region, “the problem is that there are just not enough resources for intelligence gathering.”

In the three years since the Taliban came to power, there have been repeated concerns about human rights, restrictions on women's rights and food crises.

Meanwhile, the relocation and resettlement efforts that began during the US withdrawal continued.

That has affected 165,000 people from Afghanistan since August 2021, according to the group #AfghanEvac, which has tried to work with the government on the effort and met with officials again last week.

“It sends a message that these things are important to this administration and to our country's national security leaders,” said group president Shawn VanDiver. “It's important what our volunteers and members are doing. It's important that we continue to elevate the voices of Afghans and their families who are here waiting for their final resettlement, and for the administration, it's like we're banging on an open door. They have to wade through complex laws and bureaucracy, and we're applying a lot of pressure.”

While VanDiver praises the government's work, he also calls for faster assessments of humanitarian parole applications and a program that places responsibility on the U.S. government rather than the applicants.

VanDiver estimates that between 200,000 and 400,000 people remain.

“We will keep the pressure on, no matter who wins the election,” VanDiver said.

On the third anniversary of the bombing, the group said in part: “Today, as we mourn the lives lost, we also want to reaffirm our commitment to securing the future of those who were forced to leave everything behind in search of safety and freedom. The memory of Abbey Gate must serve as our rallying cry – a reminder that we must never forget the lives lost that day, and a reminder that our work is not finished until every Afghan who stood alongside us has the chance to live the life they deserve.”

On Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would award the Congressional Gold Medal to the families of the 13 soldiers killed on August 26, 2021.