US Marine Sniper Was Allegedly Denied Shot To Stop Suspected Suicide Bomber

US Marine Sniper Was Allegedly Denied Shot To Stop Suspected Suicide Bomber

(UnitedVoice.com) – The US withdrawal from Afghanistan wasn’t exactly a shining moment for American foreign policy. President Joe Biden ordered an end to the 20-year war in 2021. The chaotic events of the withdrawal left some wondering if the commander-in-chief even had a plan in place.

Republicans are now investigating the withdrawal and the suicide attack that took the lives of 13 service members. A Marine recently testified at one of the hearings and made a shocking allegation.

Afghanistan Suicide Bombing

On August 26, 2021, service members were stationed outside of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, to help with the withdrawal. The scene was chaotic that day, with bodies of desperate Afghans pressed up against one another outside of the airport. For days, they’d been desperately trying to board planes to get out of the country because the US and its allies pulled out of the nation. Mothers were even going as far as throwing their children over the fence at the airport.

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the Afghan capital. A suicide bomber detonated a suicide vest, killing 13 American service members and 169 Afghan civilians, and injuring hundreds of others. ISIS terrorists took credit for the deadly bombing.

The deaths of the service members led to widespread outrage in the US. House Republicans are investigating the withdrawal and recently heard testimony from a sniper who was there.

Marine’s Allegation

On March 8, Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the events on the day of the suicide bombing. According to his testimony, reported by the New York Post, his team was deployed at the airport that day. They were tracking a man who intelligence officers thought might be a suicide bomber. He explained they’d tracked the man, who was clean-shaven, dressed in brown clothing, and he was wearing a black vest.

Vargas-Andrews told lawmakers that he asked a superior why nobody had apprehended the man earlier. He claims he was “told the asset could not be compromised.” The Marine said an attack was imminent, and it was “as serious as it could get.”

At one point, Vargas-Andrews said he asked permission to kill the suspected suicide bomber, but they were told they weren’t allowed to take him out because “leadership did not have the engagement authority” for them. He went to a commander and asked him if they could take him out. The battalion commander said they did not have permission.

Vargas-Andrews angrily asked the commander who had permission to authorize the killing because it was the commander’s “responsibility.” The superior said he didn’t know, and they never received the necessary go-ahead to kill the suspect. Hours later, the bomb exploded. Vargas-Andrews lost an arm and a leg in the bombing, along with several organs and had to go through more than 40 operations in the aftermath.

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