Palm Coast Times

"Waltz, McCaul Demand Answers on Abbey Gate Bombing Investigation

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, U.S. Congressman Mike Waltz (FL-6) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (TX-10) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin demanding transparency over the investigations into the Abbey Gate bombing on August 26, 2021 during the evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. A recent report from CNN showed apparent discrepancies between newly reported footage of the Abbey Gate attack in Afghanistan and the conclusions of two U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) investigations into the bombing. They were joined by U.S. Congressmen Tim Burchett (TN-2), Darrell Issa (CA-48), Brian Mast (FL- 21), Cory Mills (FL-7), Rich McCormick (GA-6), Chris Smith (NJ-4), and Keith Self (TX-3) in sending the letter. According to the CNN report on April 24, 2024, the helmet camera of a Marine on the ground in Kabul during that period reportedly recorded multiple bursts of gunfire immediately after the suicide bomber attack on Abbey Gate, with further gunfire in the minutes following the attack as well. This appears to directly contradict CENTCOM’s official findings. The letter requests information on the volume, incidence, and sources of gunfire at the scene, why an Afghan doctor referenced in the CNN report or any other Afghans were not interviewed, and whether the Department of Defense possesses any more video footage beyond that which has already been publicly released.