Tennessee Republican Marks Fifth Anniversary of Abbey Gate Bombing, Blames Biden-Harris for “Abject Failure” in Afghanistan Withdrawal

Rep. Matt Van Epps, R-Tenn., a former Army aviator, recalled his visceral reaction to news of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan five years ago, describing a moment of profound concern about the lack of operational planning. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Van Epps explained that military colleagues and government officials shared his dismay about the chaotic nature of the pullout and the years of sacrifice that preceded it.

The Tennessee congressman introduced a resolution Wednesday commemorating the fifth anniversary of the bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, which claimed the lives of 13 American service members and over 100 Afghan civilians near the Abbey Gate. Van Epps asserted that the Biden-Harris administration has not faced sufficient accountability for what he characterized as a preventable catastrophe.

Van Epps, who served a decade on active duty with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan before joining the Tennessee Army National Guard, emphasized the personal stakes of the withdrawal. Two close friends were stationed in Kabul during the evacuation, he noted, adding that while they performed their duties admirably under difficult circumstances, they should never have been placed in such a position.

The congressman defended the Trump administration’s February 2020 agreement with the Taliban, asserting it included conditions requiring accountability from both the Taliban and Afghan government before withdrawal. He contended that the Biden team disregarded the Doha agreement and ignored mounting warning signs about Taliban territorial gains, prioritizing political appearances over operational considerations.