According to Fox News, “A top Republican on a key military panel said he reviewed intelligence that the ISIS-K suicide bomber that killed 13 U.S. service members outside of Hamid Karzai International Airport in August was a prisoner released from Bagram Air Base after the Taliban seized control of the facility.
Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., the top Republican on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, told Fox News that Indian intelligence sources are reporting that the suicide bomber was one of the 7,000 prisoners housed at Bagram prison, and released by the Taliban last month.
“Security officials have now confirmed to me that the August 26th Kabul bomber was a known ISIS-K terrorist that was previously detained at the Bagram prison and was released along with thousands of others just days before the deadly attack,” Calvert said, referring to the Aug. 26 suicide bombing attack that killed 13 U.S. service members, severely injured 20 more, and left dozens of Afghans dead.
“There were 7,000 prisoners housed there — terrorists, the worst of the terrorists — held separately from other terrorists,” Calvert said. “We believe he was one of them.”
Calvert said he is “in a position,” as the top Republican on the committee “that funds the CIA, NSA, NRO, U.S. Marine Corps, Army, Navy, the entire enterprise,” to say that he believes the intelligence from the Indian intelligence services is “credible.”
“It is my belief that the Indian intelligence services are correct in their assumptions, and I have good reason to believe that the intelligence is correct in their assessment,” he said.
“This is obviously a big deal, and the administration is trying to avoid it right now,” Calvert said. “It is important for the American people to know the truth.”
It was further reported by the Daily Wire that Calvert said in a statement:
U.S. national security officials have now confirmed to me the reports that the August 26th Kabul bomber was a known ISIS-K terrorist that was previously detained at the Bagram prison and was released along with thousands of others just days before the deadly attack.
President Biden’s disastrous handling of our withdrawal from Afghanistan led to a series of events that culminated with the tragic loss of life on August 26th outside of the Kabul airport. Thirteen Americans, including one of my constituents, were killed because of the poor judgement and execution of our troop withdrawal. The Biden Administration needs to explain why these prisoners were not transferred and secured at another location. Those responsible for these grave errors not only put our brave service members in harm’s way but have now – by our military’s own admission – placed Americans in greater danger than they were before.
