Taliban Released ISIS-K Suicide Bomber Days Before the Kabul Attack That Killed U.S. Servicemen
The Taliban was reported to have released the ISIS-K suicide bomber that caused the Kabul attack, killing the U.S. servicemen and hundreds of civilians around the perimeter.
The Kabul attack had killed 13 U.S. servicemen and more than 170 Afghans outside Kabul airport in the final days of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The ISIS-K suicide bomber was incarcerated at the Parwan prison at Bagram Air Force base 11 days before the attack, according to a Daily Mail report.
House Rep. Kevin Calvert and two other U.S. officials had released the information. Calvert said he was briefed on the information by national security officials.
U.S. officials identified the ISIS-K suicide bomber as Abdul Rehman Al-Loghri. He was named by the ISIS-K when they took responsibility for the attack.
Bagram Air Force
The U.S. had controlled the Bagram Air Force until early July. Its abandonment had caused criticism.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked whether the bombing in Kabul would have happened if the U.S. retained control of Bagram.
Psaki noted that she cannot speak to the specific case.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said that it's in the thousands when asked how many ISIS-K prisoners were left at Bagram when the U.S. departed, Business Insider reported.
Republicans have continued to look closely on Bagram, asking questions whether keeping a presence there would have made the withdrawal less chaotic.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, as well as Gen Mark Milley, who is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were questioned by lawmakers regarding the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Austin told lawmakers that retaining Bagram would need as many as 5,000 U.S. troops in harm's way just to operate and defend it.
Meanwhile, Calvert has blamed the Biden administration's "poor judgment and execution" on the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan.
He said in a statement that U.S. President Joe Biden's administration would need to explain why the prisoners were not transferred and secured at another location, according to a New York Post report.
Some of the U.S. servicemen injured in the attack are still undergoing treatment in the United States.
Taliban Ruling in Afghanistan
The Taliban has gained control of the country before the U.S. could complete the troops' pullout.
Recently, U.K. officials have traveled to Afghanistan to have a talk with senior Taliban members. The discussion included how the U.K. could help address the humanitarian crisis and provide safe passage for those who want to leave the country, according to a BBC News report. They had also raised the rights of women and girls, as well as the treatment of minorities.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesman for the Taliban, said that the discussion had revolved around reviving diplomatic relations between the two countries.
James Landale, BBC's diplomatic correspondent, noted that the meeting did not mean the U.K. officially recognized the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan, saying that it only wanted to create communications.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier said that it would be a mistake to acknowledge any new regime in Kabul prematurely.
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Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: ISIS-K claims responsibility for deadly Kabul attack - from CBS Evening News