A CNN exclusive revealed new evidence that challenges the Pentagon’s narrative of the events during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. On Aug. 26, 2021, a suicide bomber attacked Kabul airport, killing 13 U.S. service members and approximately 170 Afghans. The Pentagon consistently stated that the bomb alone caused all casualties.
However, recently released GoPro footage from a Marine at the scene shows multiple instances of gunfire immediately following the blast— far more than the Pentagon’s stated “three bursts.” The footage documented at least 11 separate instances of gunfire within four minutes, which contradicts official reports.
The Department of Defense released the results of a two-year supplemental review in April. The department that found no new information had any material impact on the original investigation’s findings. However, CNN interviews and additional evidence tell a different story.
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U.S. military personnel described the gunfire originating from a nearby group of Marines.
An Afghan doctor reported treating many for gunshot wounds. He said that gunfire killed more than 70 of the deceased, not just injuries from the explosion.
In response, the Pentagon claimed that the doctor was mistaken and that the gunfire was merely “warning shots.”
U.S. Central Command maintained a lone suicide bomber carried out the attack and that no one was hit by gunfire. Testimony from over 100 witnesses supported that conclusion.
However, discrepancies remain. An officer’s account one month after the attack praised a Marine for “putting down” an opposing gunman. Christian Sanchez, a soldier injured in the blast, confirmed he returned fire after the explosion in an interview with “The Brrks Podcast.“
Despite extensive social media testimonies from U.S. service members who witnessed significant gunfire, officials have dismissed these claims as effects of traumatic brain injury from the blast. The Pentagon has released only five minutes of edited drone footage from the aftermath, raising further questions about the completeness of the evidence.
[KARAH RUCKER]
NEW EVIDENCE HAS COME OUT CHALLENGING THE PENTAGON’S VERSION OF THE TRAGIC EVENTS DURING THE U.S. WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN, CNN REPORTED
ON AUGUST 26, 2021, A SUICIDE BOMBER ATTACKED KABUL AIRPORT, RESULTING IN THE DEATHS OF 13 U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS AND ABOUT 170 AFGHANS. THE PENTAGON HAS MAINTAINED THAT ALL CASUALTIES WERE CAUSED BY THE BOMB ALONE.
HOWEVER, NEWLY RELEASED GOPRO FOOTAGE FROM A MARINE ON THE SCENE REVEALS MULTIPLE EPISODES OF GUNFIRE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE BLAST—FAR MORE THAN THE PENTAGON’S STATED “THREE BURSTS.”
THIS FIVE MINUTES OF FOOTAGE SHOWS AT LEAST 11 SEPARATE INSTANCES OF GUNFIRE WITHIN FOUR MINUTES, CONTRADICTING OFFICIAL REPORTS.
THIS COMES AS THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE RELEASED THE RESULTS OF THE TWO-YEAR SUPPLEMENTAL REVIEW THIS MONTH FINDING NO NEW INFORMATION DISCLOSED IN PUBLIC TESTIMONY SINCE MARCH 2023 HAD ANY MATERIAL IMPACT ON THE ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION’S FINDINGS.
CNN INTERVIEWS WITH U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL DESCRIBE THE GUNFIRE ORIGINATED FROM A NEARBY GROUP OF MARINES.
AN AFGHAN DOCTOR REPORTED TREATING MANY FOR GUNSHOT WOUNDS, NOT JUST BLAST INJURIES, SAYING THAT OVER 70 OF THE DEAD WERE KILLED BY GUNFIRE.
[DR. SAYEED AHMADI]
“Explosion injuries come with the severe injuries and lots of holes in the bodies. But, the people who were shot at they had just 1 or 2 holes, exactly in the chest or in the head. 170 people were killed. Totally. But the register or what? We had maybe 145. And by your estimation, about half. More than half were killed by gunshot.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
IN RESPONSE TO DR. AHMADI’S STATEMENT ABOUT TREATING GUNSHOT WOUNDS AFTER THE ATTACK, THE PENTAGON CLAIMED HE WAS MISTAKEN. SUBSEQUENTLY HE WAS NEVER APPROACHED BY INVESTIGATORS. OFFICIALS CLAIM THE SHOTS THAT RANG OUT WERE “WARNING SHOTS. “
IN 2022 — US CENTRAL COMMAND RELEASED THEIR FINDINGS AND DESCRIBED THE ATTACK AS A LONE SUICIDE BOMBER INDICATING NOBODY COULD HAVE BEEN HIT WITH GUNFIRE.
[MARINE CORPS GEN. FRANK MCKENZIE]
“The investigation found no definitive proof that anyone was ever hit or killed by gunfire either U.S. or Afghan. This conclusion was based upon the careful consideration of sworn testimony of more than 100 witnesses, and especially those witnesses and Observation Towers — both American and British — who were in locations unaffected by the blast, and that had commanding views of the scene before, during and after the explosive attack.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
HOWEVER, ONE MONTH AFTER THE 2021 ATTACK — AN OFFICER INTERVIEWED BY CBS PRAISED A MARINE IN HIS CHARGE FOR “PUTTING DOWN” AN OPPOSING GUNMAN.
[U.S. Marine Maj. Ben Sutphen]
“He’s blown off his feet and still has his wits about him. Shot through the shoulder. Immediately he recovers his weapon and puts the opposing gunman down.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
CHRISTIAN SANCHEZ, WHO SUSTAINED A LEFT ARM INJURY IN THE BLAST, TOLD THE BRICKS PODCAST THAT HE RETURNED FIRE IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD. THE SAME MARINE MAJOR SUT-FEN PRAISED ON CBS NEWS.
[SGT. CHRISTIAN SANCHEZ]
“And all I can hear is ringing, the flashes going on and then all I hear is snaps, and I started realizing that’s a dude shooting at me. I’m still on the ground and everything feels like slow motion. Everything felt so slow.”
“I remember swaying and I’m looking for my I start freaking out because I couldn’t find my rifle so I’m pretty sure I had it on sling like I can’t remember what happened but my rifle wasn’t on me and I freaked out and I grabbed the for like the first thing I found which I’m pretty sure it was this dead dude and I can’t remember whose it was and I took off of him like I got to the concrete um barrier and I just started shooting at the dude.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
MANY US SERVICEMEN WHO SAY THEY WITNESSED EXTENSIVE GUNFIRE IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE BOMBING HAVE SPOKEN OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. OFFICIALS HAVE REFUTED THESE CLAIMS DISMISSING THEM AS A PRODUCT OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY FROM A BLAST CONCUSSION.
THE PENTAGON HAS ONLY RELEASED FIVE MINUTES OF EDITED DRONE FOOTAGE FROM THE AFTERMATH. YOU CAN FIND LINKS TO THOSE VIDEOS ON OUR WEBSITE SAN DOT COM
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