The US president promised to approve an increase in his country’s military contingent in Afghanistan if necessary.
US President Joe Biden declared that his country “will not forgive” the perpetrators of the attacks , perpetrated this Thursday in Kabul, and promised that “he will hunt them down and make them pay.”
“May those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes [to] harm America (US), know this: We will not forgive. We will not forget . We will hunt them down and make them pay,” he declared during a speech from the White House.
In that context, the president said that he ordered “to develop operational plans to attack the assets, leadership and facilities” of the Islamic State . “We will respond with force and precision when we want, in the place we choose and in the manner of our choice,” he stressed.
In addition, he promised to approve an increase in his country’s military contingent in Afghanistan if necessary. “I have endowed the Army with everything it needs, if it needs additional force, I will give it to it,” reiterated the White House tenant.
Biden stressed that the event will not stop the evacuation of US citizens and Afghan civilians from Afghanistan. “We will not be deterred by terrorists. We will not allow them to stop our mission. We will continue with the evacuation,” he said.
In the framework of his intervention, Biden affirmed that he assumed responsibility for what happened in Afghanistan. ” I am fundamentally responsible for everything that has happened lately, ” he said after being asked if he had any responsibility for the way the evacuation took place, after the Taliban took power *.
The Islamic State takes credit for the attack
Biden’s remarks come shortly after the Islamic State terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attack at the entrance to Kabul International Airport.
Various #Kabul hospitals data show 43 killed & 130 injured in today’s #KabulAirport attack. Over 50 are critical.
— Bashir Ahmad Gwakh (@bashirgwakh) August 26, 2021
The death toll may rise.
To understand the scale of the final number of casualties, see the picture. This is how pack the gates get these days.#Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/fBR1AsYym1
Kenneth McKenzie Jr., head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Thursday that the attack on the Kabul airport was carried out by two suicide bombers considered to be the Islamic State.
Gen. McKenzie: At this time, two suicide bombers, assessed to have been ISIS fighters, detonated in the vicinity of the Abbey Gate at Hamid Karzai International Airport and in the vicinity of the Baron Hotel. #HKIA pic.twitter.com/NzLAhpVkCz
— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) August 26, 2021
The general explained that the attack was followed by a shooting and added that the North American country is prepared to act against those responsible for the attacks, which killed at least 50 people and left 210 injured, according to data from the Afghan Ministry of Health. .
According to the Pentagon, at least 13 US troops were killed and 15 wounded in the attack.
Analyzing the issue, journalist Pablo Pardo, from the newspaper El Mundo, pointed out that the hasty withdrawal of troops and the evacuation carried out by the US are the reason for the current and profound crisis in Afghanistan.