OKC Standard

U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) has issued a statement marking the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. The attack, which occurred during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, resulted in the deaths of 13 American servicemembers.

“The American withdrawal from Kabul in 2021 was a complete disaster brought on by systemic failures across multiple agencies,” said Sen. Mullin. “Lives were lost, and our posture on the world stage was forever changed."

Senator Mullin emphasized that no one has been held accountable for the events surrounding the withdrawal. He specifically mentioned several high-ranking officials including Gen. Milley, Gen. McKenzie, Gen. Donahue, and U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan John Pommersheim.

"When the team I was privileged to work alongside got the first Americans out of Afghanistan (through Tajikistan) after the fall of Kabul, U.S. Ambassador Pommersheim told me he was directed by Washington ‘not to assist me or our team in any way’," Mullin stated.

The senator criticized what he described as a lack of accountability for both those who died at Abbey Gate and other Americans who lost their lives trying to escape Kabul. He called for greater accountability to prevent similar incidents in the future.

"While our team got over 500 American citizens (AmCits) out of Afghanistan despite the State Department," said Mullin, "we owe it to the Americans the Biden-Harris administration left behind and those who needlessly lost their lives to provide accountability so a disaster of this magnitude never happens again.”

###