Families of US soldiers killed in Afghanistan withdrawal attack blast Biden

The families criticized Biden for not publicly saying the names of the 13 American soldiers.

Published

4 months ago

July 19, 2024

A group of family members of some of the 13 American soldiers who died in a bomb attack outside the Kabul airport during the withdrawal from Afghanistan have blamed President Joe Biden for the situation.

They raised their criticism at the Republican National Convention.

The families criticized Biden for not publicly saying the names of the 13 American soldiers.

“Joe Biden said the withdrawal from Afghanistan was an extraordinary success,” said Cheryl Juels, the aunt of Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole Gee. “Look at our faces. Look at our pain and our heartbreak. And look at our rage. That was not an extraordinary success.”

Herman Lopez, the father of Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez, also blasted Biden for his comment at last month's debate that there hadn't been "any troops dying anywhere in the world" during his administration.

"That hurt us all deeply," Lopez said before he recited the names of the 13 service members who died in the attack.

“Now we have another son serving in the Army, and we do not trust Joe Biden with his life. We have faith in Donald Trump to lead our military,” Alician Lopez, Hunter Lopez’s mother, added.

US House representative, Mike Waltz, talked in his convention speech about Trump's spending hours with the families of service members who were killed as the US withdrew from Afghanistan.

"Two of them came up to me afterwards and said this was the best thing that had happened to them since they had lost their sons," Waltz recalled. "That night with President Trump."

"Mr. President, you helped them heal," he continued. "And I will forever, and they will be forever, and America will forever be grateful to you for that."

In his convention speech, US House Representative Brian Mast criticized Biden for saying at the presidential debate last month that no US service members have died on his watch.

"Joe Biden doesn’t even remember that it cost the lives of 13 American heroes," Mast said.

Mast, an Afghanistan war veteran who lost his legs and a finger in combat, said Biden has "disgraced their sacrifice." He said neither Biden nor Harris deserves "to be saluted as commander in chief or to sit in the Oval Office."

Meanwhile, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich claimed that Trump wanted to keep Bagram Air Base when US troops were being withdrawn from Afghanistan. Some US media outlets, however, said that it is a false claim as Trump had negotiated an agreement with the Islamic Emirate in 2020 that called for the withdrawal of US troops from all bases.

Trump: Afghanistan withdrawal ‘most embarrassing moment in history’

Latest News

U.S. House approves bill on evacuation of Afghan allies

Published

19 mins ago

November 22, 2024

Ariana News

The U.S. House Of Representatives has passed a legislation on evacuation of Afghans who assisted Americans during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.

“The passage of the CARE Authorization Act of 2024 further underscores the commitment made by the U.S. government to safeguard those who served shoulder-to-shoulder with our personnel during the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan,” Congresswoman Dina Titus said in a statement.

“The State Department has made it clear: There is no deadline for the crucial job of protecting Afghan allies. By authorizing the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts at the State Department, we can more effectively relocate and resettle those who have qualified to immigrate to the U.S. as a result of their service to this country.”

In 2022 the State Department established a specialized office called the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to streamline and coordinate the ongoing relocation and resettlement process for eligible Afghans from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States.

The CARE Authorization Act of 2024 will formally authorize the CARE office at the State Department for three years and grant important authorities to advance its mission. These include an extension of authorities to enter into personal services contracts as well as measures to streamline the transfer of funds to and from other agencies involved in the Afghan relocation mission.

Regional

Gunmen attack Pakistan passenger vehicles, killing at least 38 people

Published

57 mins ago

November 22, 2024

Ariana News

Gunmen opened fire on passenger vehicles in a tribal area in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 38 people and wounding 29, the chief secretary of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, said.

Reuters reported that among the fatalities in the attack, which occurred in the Kurram tribal district, were a woman and a child, Chaudhry said, adding: “It’s a major tragedy and death toll is likely to rise."

No group claimed responsibility for the incident.

"There were two convoys of passenger vehicles, one carrying passengers from Peshawar to Parachinar and another from Parachinar to Peshawar, when armed men opened fire on them,” a local resident of Parachinar, Ziarat Hussain told Reuters by telephone, adding that his relatives were travelling from Peshawar in the convoy.

President Asif Ali Zardari, in a statement, strongly condemned the attack on passenger vehicles.