(Washington) The United States denies any involvement in the Taliban-led operation to eliminate the mastermind of the Kabul airport suicide bombing in August 2021, the White House reaffirmed on Wednesday.
“We had nothing to do with it,” John Kirby, spokesman for the US executive branch’s National Security Council, told reporters, dismissing the idea that Washington could have provided information or any help. directly or indirectly, to the Taliban in this operation.
Tuesday evening, the American authorities confirmed the death of the jihadist at the origin of this attack, which had made at least 173 dead, including 13 American soldiers.
John Kirby did not specify how US intelligence obtained the information of his death.
“There is no debating that it is a good thing that this man is no longer able to prepare, plan and carry out attacks,” he said.
According to him, this information demonstrates the effectiveness of the new US counterterrorism strategy.
“We’ve really worked hard to increase our remote working capabilities since the pullout from Afghanistan,” he said, saying it’s not just conducting strikes from outside the country, but also “to be able to see, know and watch things”.
On July 31, 2022, US forces killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri on his balcony in Afghanistan via a US drone strike.
“We’ve proven, I think, that even though it’s harder in some places, not being on the ground doesn’t make it impossible,” he continued, adding that “there’s no You don’t have to stay in a particular battlefield to pursue terrorists.”
The attack on August 26, 2021 near Kabul airport occurred at the time of the hasty withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, which drew widespread criticism.
The images of the chaotic evacuation of Americans and Afghans shocked the United States and went around the world.
This withdrawal ended the longest military intervention of the United States started in response to the attack of September 11, 2001.
Since the Taliban took power in 2021, the United States has had only limited direct communication with local authorities and no longer has a diplomatic presence on Afghan soil.