During CNN’s coverage of President Donald Trump’s speech before Congress, CNN host and Chief National Security Analyst Jim Scuitto stated that the arrest of one of the terrorists involved in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing is a “significant arrest” of a man who was released “just two weeks before the Abbey Gate attack. And that’s notable because it shows the results of the chaos” of the withdrawal.
Scuitto said, “[O]ne of the newsiest moments…was the announcement of the significant arrest, Pakistan, acting on intelligence provided by the CIA, arrested a man named Mohammad Sharifullah, who is being described as a mastermind — or at least someone who provided training to the suicide bomber who attacked Abbey Gate, August 2021, in those waning days of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal, when 13 U.S. servicemembers were killed in that suicide bombing, as well as close to 200 Afghans who were gathered at that gate there as U.S. forces were leaving. Trump’s CIA Director, John Ratcliffe, says that he raised that issue with his Pakistani counterpart in the very first few days on the job. And now, this suspect is on his way to the U.S., to arrive in the U.S. tomorrow morning, where he will face charges with providing and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.”
He added, “We should note this, that he was released from a prison in Afghanistan — this is important, Erin — just two weeks before the Abbey Gate attack. And that’s notable because it shows the results of the chaos of that withdrawal, right? You had many hundreds, thousands of prisoners being released during that time, as the government was collapsing. Here is one of them. And he contributed to that attack that killed so many on that day, including 13 U.S. servicemembers.”
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