CNN Presents New Video and Interviews Challenging Pentagon Claims About Afghan Airport Bombing

The 2021 Kabul airport bombing may have resulted in more gunfire than previously acknowledged by U.S. military investigators, according to new footage and interviews presented by CNN. The attack, which occurred on August 26, 2021, at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, resulted in numerous casualties, including 13 U.S. service members, during the evacuation of Afghanistan.

The U.S. Department of Defense conducted two reviews of the events at the Kabul airport that day, concluding that all casualties were caused by the bombing and the bomber’s suicide vest. The military reviews acknowledged three bursts of gunfire but insisted that these shots did not injure or kill anyone in the crowd. However, CNN’s new footage and expert analyses suggest there were actually 11 bursts of gunfire totaling at least 43 shots.

Dr. Sayeed Ahmadi, director of a hospital in Kabul, claimed to have found gunshot wounds among the casualties, contradicting the DOD’s findings. Multiple combat medics supported Dr. Ahmadi’s claims, challenging the military’s assertion that no one was hit by gunfire during the attack.

The new footage also raises questions about the use of warning shots by U.S. service members. While the Department of the Navy prohibits warning shots, a report from the U.S. Army Central Command attributed warning shots to British troops, not U.S. personnel. An unidentified Marine present during the attack disputed the idea that warning shots were fired and questioned the consistency of the shots heard in the new footage.

Overall, the new evidence presented by CNN suggests that the events at the Kabul airport may have involved more gunfire and complexities than previously reported by the U.S. military reviews. Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division (2/1) were found to have not utilized warning shots and only used flash bang grenades sparingly, according to recent Pentagon conclusions.

The Pentagon’s supplementary review of the Abbey Gate attack, released shortly before this CNN report, determined that the attack could not have been prevented. In response to allegations made by retired Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who claimed that he and his fellow Marines had identified potential bombing suspects but did not take action, the DOD disputed these claims.

CNN reached out to the Department of Defense and CENTCOM for comment on the new footage and allegations presented in their report, but received no response at the time of publication. The new footage and information were shared with the DOD before publication, but reviewers were not given access to it prior to its release.

Army Lt. Col. Rob Lodewick, public affairs adviser to the Abbey Gate Supplemental Review Team, stated that the investigation thoroughly looked into claims of a complex attack and outgoing fire from U.S. and coalition forces after the blast. The supplemental review did not find any new evidence of a complex attack or assertions of outgoing fire post-blast.

Source: NTD News

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