An investigation released by U.S. Central Command on Monday revealed that a Marine sniper at Kabul’s monastery gates saw suicide bomber Abdul Rahman al-Rogali before the deadly attack in August 2021. It turned out that there was no evidence that (U.S. Central Command)
Following a new supplemental investigation into the Abbey Gate suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members during the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021, U.S. Central Command says the Marine sniper team at Abbey Gate had the suicide bomber in their sights before the attack. Turns out it wasn’t included.
The review, published on Monday, included interviews with 50 witnesses who were present or had direct knowledge of the Kabul bombing, including 12 military personnel who were not interviewed in the original investigation due to medical evacuation and treatment. It included an interview.
The investigation found that, despite subsequent testimony and recollections, the sniper team guarding Abbey Gate did not have the suicide bomber in their sights.
A review of the evidence suggests that their memories of the traumatic event may have been influenced by the fog of war.
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According to a CENTCOM investigation, U.S. intelligence and ISIS video identified the suicide bomber at the monastery gate as Abdul Rahman al-Logari, a known member of ISIS-K. (U.S. Central Command)
Members of the sniper team said the target was within sight, but they were not given permission to fire. Gen. Eric Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command, added this following testimony at the Capitol last summer from some survivors who said they believed the bomber could have been removed and the attack could have been thwarted. ordered an investigation.
U.S. Army Central Command was tasked with uncovering new evidence and information that could challenge the findings of the initial report into the bombing that killed 13 Americans.
The first investigation concluded in November 2021, just two months after the bombing, and was made public in February 2022.
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This new review shows a screenshot of a video stream from the sniper scope of a Marine unit guarding the gate.
The “bald man in black” seen in the video was suspected by some Marines to be a suicide bomber. The video showed a middle-aged bald man acting suspiciously. Two Marine snipers discovered him at 7 a.m. on August 26. They lost sight of him at 10 a.m. and the explosion occurred at 5:36 p.m., the report said.
Among those who gave public testimony was Marine Staff Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in March 2023. He told lawmakers he witnessed a suicide bomber and was told to stand back before the explosion occurred.
The “bald man in black” (pictured above, center) was believed by some Marines to be the Abbeygate suicide bomber, but facial analysis showed a negative match between him and the identified bomber. Centcom said it was obtained. (U.S. Central Command)
“Through the communications networks we passed through, we could see that there was a potential threat and that an IED attack was imminent. This was as serious as it could be,” Vargas Andrews said, adding that the suspected suicide bomber Best described the man as clean-shaven and wearing brown clothing with black clothing.
Vargas Andrews said that when he asked for permission to shoot, his battalion commander responded, “I don’t know.”
Mr Vargas-Andrews was not interviewed in the original Abbey Gate investigation. He was being treated for numerous injuries after the attack, including having his right arm and entire left leg amputated.
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The suicide bomber was identified as Abdul Rahman al-Rogali, who had a beard and appeared to be several decades younger than the man found by the sniper team, according to videos released by U.S. intelligence and ISIS. did.
A facial comparison revealed Al Rogali and a “bald man in black” who Vargas Andrews and his sniper team identified as different people. According to the new review, the two received “the most negative results.”
Intelligence reports after the attack indicate that al-Roghali did not arrive at the monastery gates until shortly before the attack on August 26, and that sniper teams were on surveillance of the bald man in black at 7 a.m. that day. started.
Facial analysis of Abdul Rahman al-Roghali, identified as the Abbey Gate suicide bomber. (U.S. Central Command)
This new investigation reinforces the findings of the original Abbey Gate investigation, which found that no specific individual was identified as the bomber before the attack. Hours later, U.S. intelligence determined that al-Roghali, a known member of ISIS-K, was a suicide bomber.
The United States had biometric information about him because he had spent time in Afghanistan’s Bagram Prison. Since the attack, multiple intelligence agencies have independently confirmed that al-Roghali was a suicide bomber.
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The families of the 13 service members killed in the attack and several U.S. service members who survived the attack were briefed together by investigators of the investigation earlier this month.
“We remain focused on fulfilling our solemn obligations to the Abbey Gate Gold Star Family,” a CENTCOM spokesperson said. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and General Eric Kurilla have been briefed on the results of the review.
On August 26, 2021, 13 U.S. military personnel (11 Marines, 1 soldier, and 1 sailor) and 170 Afghan civilians were murdered at the gates of a monastery, days before the end of the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal. Ta.
The bomb exploded at the gates of a monastery just outside Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, injuring more than a dozen U.S. military personnel and 150 Afghan civilians.
