Newly released emails show top Biden administration officials discussing the chaos of the Afghanistan withdrawal in the days leading up to the deadly terrorist attack that killed 13 American soldiers three years ago today.
The messages, obtained by watchdog organization the Functional Government Initiative and shared with Just the News, show that former Pentagon spokesman John Kirby was fully aware of the “chaos” on the ground in Afghanistan despite later saying he didn’t see how the withdrawal could have been done better.
On August 16, 2021, 10 days before the attack, Kirby sent out a State Department report detailing “breaches” and “flightline insecurity” at the Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) in Kabul. The report made clear that U.S. forces were quickly being overrun there.
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“DOD continuing to surge to theater, but at moment, further breaches cannot be fully prevented at current force levels,” the report said, noting that the “Taliban have been increasingly positioning near HKIA access points.”
The report also noted crowds of people swarming American airplanes prior to takeoff, with some even trying to grab onto the aircraft as they accelerated down the runway for departure.
“Hundreds have flooded the flight line and in at least one case, have forced themselves onto at least one US mil (and other civilian) aircraft. Crowds continue to run alongside planes, including mil aircraft,” the report said.
Also on August 16, Kirby was asked by speechwriter Warren Bass about an appearance from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
“Unless you’re itching to get him to the podium, this could well be the first time the SD has been out in public since the collapse in Afghanistan,” Bass wrote. “At a minimum, he’d need to start with a serious topper on the Afghan chaos.”
“Warren—warm words are good. We’ll want to do a spray given the circumstances,” Kirby replied.
In another email on August 16, Kirby noted that “things are not going well at HKIA.”
Just 10 days later, an ISIS suicide bomber would attack the Abbey Gate entrance of the airport, killing 13 American soldiers and around 170 Afghan civilians.
The soldiers killed were Marines Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Cpl. Daegan W. Page, Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak and Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss.
In the wake of the attack, Kirby defended the Biden-Harris administration after receiving sharp criticism.
“Now, some say we should have started mass evacuations sooner and, ‘Couldn’t this have been done in a more orderly manner?’” Kirby later said. “I respectfully disagree.”
In April 2023, Kirby claimed he saw no chaos from his vantage point. “For all this talk of chaos, I just didn’t see it. Not from my perch,” he said.
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Peter MicGinnis, a spokesman for the Functional Government Initiative, said that the messages show that Kirby always knew how bad the situation on the ground was.
“These documents are Mr. Kirby’s perch. They show what he saw–confusion, miscommunication, inadequate resources, tragic deaths,” he said. “This situation showed an administration out of its depth and a military trying to salvage a near-impossible situation. But the American public didn’t need these emails to know the truth about the chaos. They saw the shameful episode unfold in real time on their TV screens.”
