This comes amid insane calls to return to Afghanistan to do what we couldn’t do in the last 20 years.
“The U.S. launches a reprisal strike and warns Americans to leave the Kabul airport,” New York Times, August 27, 2021:
The U.S. military has announced its first reprisal strike in Afghanistan since an attack on the Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. service members and as many as 170 other people, as U.S. officials again warned Americans to leave the airport because of security threats.
“U.S. military forces conducted an over-the-horizon counterterrorism operation today against an ISIS-K planner,” Capt. Bill Urban, spokesman for the U.S. Central Command, said in a statement on Friday. He was referring to the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, also known as Islamic State Khorasan, which has claimed responsibility for the Thursday attack.
“The unmanned airstrike occurred in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan,” Captain Urban said. “Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties.”
The attack at the airport was one of the deadliest in the nearly two decades since the U.S.-led invasion. American officials believe that “another terror attack in Kabul is likely,” the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said on Friday. “The threat is ongoing, and it is active. Our troops are still in danger.”
The U.S. airstrike followed President Biden’s searing remarks from the White House on Thursday, when he pledged to “hunt down” the terrorists who claimed credit for the bombing.
“To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: We will not forgive,” Mr. Biden said, using language that had grim echoes of warnings President George W. Bush made after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
An assistant to the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Saturday in response to the U.S. airstrike: “We have heard the reports about the Nangarhar incident, but we are trying to find the type of the incident and the casualties. After an investigation, we will react to that.”
A warning from the American Embassy in Kabul said that U.S. citizens at the airport “who are at the Abbey gate, East gate, North gate or the New Ministry of Interior gate now should leave immediately.”…
owensgate says
Is this something to crow about? We “took out” an isis-k terrorist? So soon after “releasing” by proxy hundreds of them from the Bagram “holding tank” they were in? We should have killed every one of them before leaving the base. The POTUS and the USA has been “bi*ch-slapped” by a bunch of rancid 7th century throwbacks, and THIS is supposed to fix it? I feel filthy and need a shower, but the shame of being an American won’t wash off. Our “Generals” are worried about “White Rage”, and can’t be concerned about besting an enemy of everything Human. Maybe they’re right – I am White, and right now I’m filled with rage.
Kepha says
Kill prisoners before withdrawing? We hanged German and Japanese officers for this sort of thing 1945-49.
As for 7th century throwbacks, they are armed with at least 20th century weapons. They are also war-loving
owensgate says
Well, I suppose we could have put ankle monitors on them and asked the Taliban pretty pretty please to keep an eye on them for us. I’ll wager here that at least two of them are already on planes to the U. S., or here now. The best option would have been to ship them all to Guantanamo, but that is probably what Trump would have done, so that wasn’t an option for Biden. Short of offing them would also have been amputating an arm or both and leg from each – THAT would keep them from “terrorizing”, for sure. But obviously, leaving however many bodies behind in the prison wouldn’t have the proper optics. A C-17 flight to a spot 30,000 high and 200 miles south of Tristan da Cunha wouldn’t have any “optics”. Problem solved. The way it was done, releasing them, now means we have a bigger problem.
Malcolm (South Afric) says
The left is the left all over the world, they have been a blight on western civilization before the French revolution, since then, they have gone wild.
Lost over a hundred civilians 13 wonderful marines and you boast of one kill.
It is difficult to know the circumstance or the order of this mission. Did the Taliban give jihad Biden the cell number of the deceased. Is the Pentagon just killing the enemies of the Taliban. Is this a Media operation to take the heat off you all?
The Pentagon has lied, Gen Milley has lied, the State Dept. has lied. You all and other should be tried, drawn and quartered. For the mess you have all created and the senseless deaths of the marines and civilians, you have caused.
JimJFox says
Every decent, rational human being should feel exactly the same as you (& I) do!
A proper response would be identifying as many of these terrorist training camps away from populated areas, whether ISIS or taleban or any other. Then at least one or more FAE strikes to really show these imbeciles that the west means business.
Rinse and repeat. All foreigners to leave Afghanistan. No ground troops to be risked, “poor man’s nukes” will make terrorists lives very uncomfortable. Of course this will never happen because it’s “nothing to do with Islam”
commonsense says
Damned right, owensgate.
gravenimage says
The Taliban were never going to keep Jihadists in prison. So we didn’t have a lot of options–as Kepha rightly notes, we were not going to kill them once they were in our custody, and taking them to the west would have been a *very* bad idea.
jule says
I don’t even think they did….just words they incredibly think will appease us.
VRWC member77 says
Where did the intelligence come from for this “strike”?……..the Taliban?
“ISIS-K” ……This sounds like an adolescent term Susan Rice came up with. Did Iraq just relocate to a region south of Kabul?
VRWC member77 says
Notice they also don’t reveal the name of the so-called target.
gravenimage says
ISIS-K just means “Islamic State Khorasan”–“Khorosan” refers to central Asia and includes most of Afghanistan. There are indeed ISIS affiliates in various parts of the world, including Africa. Your idea that ISIS does not exist is mistaken.
GFF says
ISIS-K
Same old shit different package.
Infidel says
I wonder if this airstrike was a real discovery of who was behind the attack, or whether it was a CYA given Biden’s numbers in free fall? As usual, the jihadists had Jalalabad to plot from, which is just across the border from Peshawar
I forgot to note one thing over the last few days: the administration talking about helping just ‘the Americans who want to come back’, implying that there are some who are happy about being there and saying, ‘No, we’re good, Afghanistan is our new home!’ Are they implying that Americans who were stupid enough to go there in the first place (talking about civilians) are also stupid enough to love the place enough to want to remain there?
Malcolm (South Afric) says
The line that USA citizens want to stay in Afghanistan: is an excuse predicted the day jihad Biden sent troops to Kabul.
The embassy, State dept, Pentagon had, no control of who enters the Airport. The Taliban had complete control of the perimeter.
They had to be then complici8t in the bombing. However jihad Biden is not sure. He has been a moron all his Life.
Dr Jill (Haha) Biden, as someone else said” “If she loved her husband, she would never let the fool run the country.)
Malcolm (South Afric) says
100 000 thousand Taliban airlifted out of Kabul and the 5000 interpreters is a figment of the State Dept. re -imagin policy.
somehistory says
23 American school kids were taken there during the summer…and are still there now. Left there, evidently. Who in their right mind would have taken them there? What parent in their right mind would have given permission for their child to go?
and…one of the military persons has given the order that no Navy personnel…active and **retired**…are to “disrespect biden’s afghanistan” mess, er decisions.
Can he say, corruption at the highest levels?
Infidel says
Somehistory
Some of them were Afghan-Americans, who the Taliban are not gonna see as Americans, no matter what passports they have. I do think that Christian Afghans who lived there would have fled, due to cases like Abdul Rahman years ago (the Afghan muslim who converted to Christianity, got a death sentence which the US intervened to prevent, and then that guy fled to Italy). So I doubt any of them would have gone back
However, Afghan-American muslims freely entered and left the country the last 20 years, and seeing that this was about to collapse, made one last trip there – talking about the bunch from San Diego. Now they’re stuck there, and Taliban may not let them leave. Honestly, I’m not rooting for them, since these are the people who decades from now could end up like Ilhan Omar. Since we don’t have the cojones to ban muslims, let the Taliban enforce a muslim ban by preventing Afghans from fleeing
somehistory says
Infidel,
I did not realize they were afghan children. Makes more sense that they wouldn’t have the sense to stay out of that awful place and that their parents…afghans…would believe it okay to allow the visit.
Yes, once a person has been brought up to believe the lies of islam and to repeat the lies of islam, many will act on the demonic demands to rape and murder, for the fun of it.
Some say the second generation of mozlums in the U.S., the ones born here, are the most likely to go ballistic. elmi, alias omar, wasn’t born here, but she sure has been a load of trouble, an unappreciative snake.
gravenimage says
Yes–Infidel–the implication that Americans really want to stay in Afghanistan is just chilling.
ConstantineXI says
This was done largely for PR purposes to try to change the headlines to “America Strikes Back” and to try to get people to think Joe is tough. Also designed to buttress “over the horizon” comment by Biden(notice how Pentagon refers to this as an”over the horizon” attack—-never reported this way before but done do thus time solely to buttress Biden).
Wellington says
Reminiscent of Clinton bombing an aspirin factory in Sudan. In others, both pathetic and bullshit.
Biden is oozing weakness to the world at large and one knows this or should know it. Biden is a loser and so are all the people who actually voted for this nothing. Yes, that’s right, all are losers.
Keys says
Agree with ConstantineIX and Wellington.
This novel “over-the-horizon counter-terrorism” is based on some new technology ? Maybe these were two guys on the way to Pakistan with a poppy-drug delivery. Trust in this administration is long dead.
One can not believe Muslims, and one certainly can not believe incompetent Leftists like Biden. Leftists have a habit – no, rather they have a policy of lying to achieve their objectives. Here we have a possible combination of the two.
***********
More likely, this is “Somewhere over the rainbow counter-terrorism” given the past “performance” of this administration.
Aunt Em: Joe, “… find yourself a place where you won’t get into any trouble”.
Dorothy: “Some place where there isn’t any trouble. Do you suppose there is such a place, Toto? There must be. It’s not a place you can get to by a boat, or a train. It’s far, far away.“
Hillary: May I add, “At this point what difference does it make !” We got two guys somewhere over the horizon.
Barak H. O., – The Wizard of Oz: Smoke and mirrors works !
somehistory says
In his session with the “press,” biden began his q and a with saying he had a list and the first person he was told to call on…o’donell…and as he “answered” the questions, he paused in between phrases, sentences, words, long enough to hear them said , via an earpiece, before he spoke them .
This reminds me of the saying, “long live the king; the king is dead.” When I was young…a few years ago…that saying made absolutely no sense to me…how could the king live long if he was dead? But, misunderstood that way, makes sense with biden. he’s brain dead, but he continues “live” and do damage via his handlers.
Keys says
Amen !
Tens of millions know it, and not only Americans.
gravenimage says
CENTCOM: ‘U.S. military forces conducted an over-the-horizon counterterrorism operation against an ISIS-K planner’
……………….
That’s good–but it is a drop in the bucket, of course–more symbolic than anything else.
And where are Americans supposed to go if they leave the Kabul airport? Since we foolishly abandoned Bagram Airforce Base there is no other way out of the country.
As for going back in to this hideous quagmire, it makes no sense–we could be there another 20 years, or another two hundred, and it would make no difference.
Afghanistan cannot be civilized, and most of the Afghans are never going to take a stand against Jihadist liek the Taliban. And why would they? There is nothing so Islamic…