ISIS Mastermind Behind Kabul Airport Bombing Killed By Taliban
Daily CallerNov 26, 2022
The Facts
US officials confirmed on Tuesday that Afghanistan's ruling Taliban has killed the Islamic State group (IS) leader who reportedly planned the deadly bombing at Kabul airport during the US withdrawal in 2021. The bombing killed 170 civilians and 13 US soldiers as people tried to flee the country.
The IS leader, who was affiliated with IS-Khorasan, the militant group's branch in Afghanistan and Central Asia, wasn't named; however, US National Security Council member John Kirby referred to him as "the mastermind of the horrific attack."
The Spin
Republican narrative
While killing this IS leader will never bring back the dead or lift the burden of those whose family members were killed, it must force the Biden administration to own up to the responsibility of the chaotic and cold-hearted withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan. With the Taliban systematically hunting people down, the war is not over — which points to a massive US government failure.
Democratic narrative
Though many in the US political establishment blame Biden for the Taliban's return to power, it was ultimately an inevitability of a failed war with George W. Bush and Donald Trump also bearing significant blame. While the news of the killing offers a reminder of one of the most challenging chapters of his presidency, it also highlights the role of the Trump administration in creating the mess by providing no plans for how to conduct the withdrawal or to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies.
