"We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay," Biden said in early evening remarks from the White House, hours after the Pentagon said 12 service members had been killed in two separate suicide blasts outside the airport gates. Shortly after Biden spoke, US Central Command announced an additional US service member has died, with a total of 18 wounded. Ten Marines were among the 13 service members killed.
In a subdued but firm tone, Biden said he's asked the US military for options to respond to the explosions, which he said had been carried out by the Islamic State affiliate operating in Afghanistan.
"We will respond with force and precision at our time, at the place we choose and the moment of our choosing," Biden said. "Here's what you need to know: These ISIS terrorists will not win."
The terror attacks, which came after days of public and private warnings from
Biden of a potential threat that could disrupt the massive airlift effort, have complicated the bloody final days of America's longest war. It made for what Biden's aides described as the worst day of his young presidency.
Now, in addition to evacuating thousands of people who desperately want to leave Afghanistan, Biden has tasked the military with another mission: hunting down and punishing the ISIS terrorists who killed Americans and scores of Afghan civilians.
They must conduct both missions under the very present threat of further attacks, which military leaders said earlier could come in vehicles or by rocket at any moment.
Biden pledged on Thursday to continue the airlift, which he still says will conclude by next Tuesday, a self-imposed deadline for withdrawing all US troops from the country. He said terror attacks are a principal reason he's sought to limit the duration of the evacuation mission.
But he remained firm in his decision to end the 20-year Afghanistan war, and said he accepted responsibility for what has transpired.
"I bear responsibility for fundamentally all that's happened of late," the President said.
Biden has said from the beginning that we were depending on the Taliban for a successful evacuation. Little did we know just how much we were depending on them.
Now, as thousands of Americans and Afghan allies are left behind by Biden because he’s too much of a coward to stand up to the Taliban, these ‘targets’ have to worry about the Taliban tracking them down and executing them. Biden is setting up a potential bloodbath because of his irresponsible and horrific evacuation policies.
Just when you thought Biden couldn’t make this any worse…
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