- The emotional US President Joe Biden vowed to retaliate for the attack on Kabul Airport.
- The Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the bombing.
- Biden promised the military any help they needed.
US President Joe Biden vowed on Thursday that the United States will hunt down those responsible for the two bombings at Kabul Airport in Afghanistan, and said he asked the Pentagon to develop a counterattack plan.
Biden delivered a speech a few hours after the explosion killed at least a dozen U.S. troops and dozens of civilians. This was the heaviest day of U.S. military casualties in a decade.
The Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), an affiliate of militants who have fought against the US military in Syria and Iraq, claimed responsibility for the attack.
“We will not forgive, we will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay,” Biden said in a speech at the White House.
He promised that the United States will continue to evacuate. He did not say that the goal of the U.S. withdrawal will change next Tuesday.
Biden said: “I also ordered my commander to develop a combat plan against ISIS-K assets, leadership and facilities. We will respond with force and precision at the time, place, and moment of our choosing.”
‘Tough days’
Biden seems to be holding back his tears, and his voice is full of emotion when he talks about the dead American “hero”.
“This is a difficult day,” he said.
The President said he had told the U.S. military that he would grant additional force if they needed it: “No matter what they need, if they need additional force, I will grant it.”
Biden defended his handling of the worst foreign policy crisis, saying it was ultimately his responsibility, and at the same time blamed his predecessor Donald Trump for the 2020 agreement negotiated by Trump and the Taliban.
“Fundamentally speaking, I am responsible for everything that happened recently,” Biden told reporters when asked if he was responsible for the events that occurred in the past two weeks.
He said he does not believe in the Taliban, but believes that it is in the Taliban’s interest to allow the evacuation to proceed.
Before the explosion at Kabul Airport, Biden had been warning of possible attacks.
“I know there is no conflict. As a student of history, when the war is over, there is no conflict to ensure that everyone who wants to evacuate from that country can get away,” he said.
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