<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sen. Sasse said President Biden's <keyword id="11892774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="afghanistan" source="Orion">Afghanistan</keyword> withdrawal strategy amounted to "happy talk."</li><li>"President Biden has been repeatedly disconnected from reality," the Nebraska senator said Sunday.</li><li>Sasse is worried about Afghan allies and US citizens who could be left in the country after Aug. 31.</li></ul>Sen. <keyword id="11922371" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ben-sasse" source="Orion">Ben Sasse</keyword> on Sunday slammed <keyword id="11917122" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="president-joe-biden" source="Orion">President Joe Biden</keyword>, accusing him of employing "happy talk" in his strategy for evacuating US citizens and allies from Afghanistan before the August 31 withdrawal deadline.<a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1431981791653548033">During an interview</a> on ABC's "This Week," the Nebraska Republican told host Martha Raddatz that Biden didn't have a plan for getting people out of the country and charged that people have died because of what he sees as the administration's missteps."There is clearly no plan. There has been no plan. Their plan has basically been happy talk," he said. "People have died and people are going to die because President Biden decided to rely on happy talk instead of reality."He added: "What we need is a commander-in-chief that actually has a big plan and a big way to solve this problem. President Biden has been repeatedly disconnected from reality."Sasse's comments come after Thursday's terrorist attack near the Kabul airport, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-updates-afghanistan-kabul-airport-blast-evacuation-2021-8">which killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 US service members</a> and marked the deadliest day for US military members in the country since 2011.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1431981791653548033">August 29, 2021</a></blockquote>Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afghan-interpreters-taliban-prosecution-terrorism-cases-2021-8">How Americans who helped prosecute the Taliban are going down a 'black hole' to help their Afghan interpreters</a>The senator also pointed to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/26/us-officials-provided-taliban-with-names-of-americans-afghan-allies-to-evacuate-506957">a recent Politico report</a>, which said that the US had sent a list of American citizens and Afghan allies to the Taliban to help them get access to the Kabul airport, which he tore into as "insane.""They passed a list of American citizens and America's closest allies, people who fought alongside us, they passed those lists to the Taliban, relying on them, thinking they could trust on them. It was stupid then. It's insane now," Sasse said. "And their plan still seems to be, 'Let's rely on the Taliban because the Taliban cares a lot about what world opinion thinks of them at French restaurants.' It was a disgusting revelation of yet again no plan."Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed back on the allegation that the administration gave names to the Taliban, saying they would not put Americans or allies in harms way."The idea that we've done anything to put at further risk those that we're trying to help leave the country is simply wrong," <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/full-blinken-we-will-take-action-after-sept-1-if-isis-k-threatens-americans-119692869683?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_mtp">Blinken said on NBC's "Meet the Press"</a> on Sunday. "And the idea that we shared lists of Americans or others with the Taliban is simply wrong."State Department spokesperson Ned Price during a Friday briefing also refuted the notion that the administration would endanger individuals in Afghanistan."The notion that we are just providing names upon names of individuals who may stay behind in Afghanistan or in a way that would expose anyone to additional risk - that is simply false," Price said at the time.Sasse has been one of Biden's most vocal critics in recent weeks, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ben-sasse-footprint-troops-afghanistan-withdrawal-taliban-attacks-2021-8">urging</a> him to keep a "light footprint" of troops in the country and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ben-sasse-blasts-afghanistan-withdrawal-we-have-a-hostage-situation-2021-8">criticizing</a> the administration's decision to walk away from the Bagram Air Base that was once of the nerve center of US military operations in Afghanistan.Biden has said he intends to stick with the August 31 deadline for leaving Afghanistan. To date, about 117,000 people, mostly Afghans, have been evacuated from the country since the Taliban seized Kabul earlier this month, according to Pentagon officials.

Republican Sen. Ben Sasse accuses Biden of using 'happy talk' in Afghanistan approach, says he is 'disconnected from reality'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>President Biden on Sunday went to Dover to pay tribute to the <keyword id="11910609" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="service-members" source="Orion">service members</keyword> killed in Afghanistan.</li><li>The service members who died were assisting in the evacuation efforts at the Kabul airport.</li><li>In a statement, Biden lauded the "bravery and selflessness" of the fallen in their service.</li></ul><keyword id="11917122" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="president-joe-biden" source="Orion">President Joe Biden</keyword> on Sunday met privately with the families of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-troops-were-killed-in-the-airport-attack-in-kabul-2021-8">the 13 US service members who were killed in the suicide bombing</a> near the Kabul airport and received the bodies of the fallen officers who died in Afghanistan.First lady Jill Biden joined the president at Dover Air Base to participate in the "dignified transfer" of remains, a solemn process where the remains of service members killed in foreign combat are transported from an aircraft to an awaiting vehicle.The fallen officers ranged in age from 20 to 31, and included a Marine from Wyoming <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marine-who-died-afghanistan-suicide-bombing-was-expecting-a-baby-2021-8">who was expecting his first child</a> in just a few weeks and another Marine from California who raved about her job and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marine-who-died-kabul-wrote-she-loves-job-days-attack-2021-8">was photographed holding an Afghan child just a few days ago</a>.Five of the fallen service members were only 20 years old, having been born shortly before the September 11, 2001 attacks that drove the US to invade Afghanistan to destroy al-Qaeda and bring down the Taliban.The service members were in the country to aid in the evacuation efforts, as Biden has sought to end a war that has been waged under four US presidents, including himself."The 13 service members that we lost were heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our highest American ideals and while saving the lives of others," Biden said in a statement released on Saturday. "Their bravery and selflessness has enabled more than 117,000 people at risk to reach safety thus far."<div type="image" title="Biden Dover Afghanistan" height="2009" width="3293" msid="85752201" hostid="261"></div>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/these-us-troops-lost-their-lives-during-the-attack-kabul-2021-8">fallen service members</a> returning to Dover were:<ul><li>Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah</li><li>Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts</li><li>Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California</li><li>Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, California</li><li>Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska</li><li>Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana</li><li>Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas</li><li>Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri</li><li>Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming</li><li>Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California</li><li>Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California</li><li>Navy Hospitalman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio</li><li>Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee</li></ul>Family members of fallen officers often come to Dover to witness the return of their loved ones as they come back to the country they fought so valiantly to protect.Also at the ceremony were a large group of US officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, US Marine Corps commandant Gen. David Berger, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Biden pays respects to the 13 fallen US service members killed in Afghanistan at Dover Air Force Base

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sen. <keyword id="11965209" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mitt-romney" source="Orion">Mitt Romney</keyword> blasted the <keyword id="11892774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="afghanistan" source="Orion">Afghanistan</keyword> policies of President Biden and former President Trump.</li><li>On CNN, he called the situation in Afghanistan "a humanitarian and foreign-policy tragedy."</li><li>Romney said that it would be "a moral stain" to leave Afghan allies behind after the US withdrawal.</li></ul>Sen. Mitt Romney on Sunday said that the situation in Afghanistan is a consequence of policy failures made by <keyword id="11917122" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="president-joe-biden" source="Orion">President Joe Biden</keyword> and former President <keyword id="11914386" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="donald-trump" source="Orion">Donald Trump</keyword>.<a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSotu/status/1431974607028985858">During an appearance</a> on CNN's "State of the Union," the Utah Republican told the host Jake Tapper that the rush to withdraw Afghan allies and Americans was "preventable" and criticized past decisions by the two administrations when asked whether US troops should remain in the country past the Aug. 31 deadline to aid with further evacuations."Leaving Americans behind and leaving our Afghan friends behind who've worked with us would put upon us and will put upon us a moral stain," Romney said, later adding: "This did not have to happen. It was preventable."He went on: "We didn't have to be in this rush-rush circumstance with terrorists breathing down our neck. But it's really the responsibility of the prior administration and this administration that has caused this crisis to be upon us and has led to what is without question a humanitarian and foreign-policy tragedy."Romney, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, continued to focus on what he felt were serious missteps in the approaches taken by Biden and Trump, who both sought to wind down the war in Afghanistan. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-State of the Union (@CNNSotu) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1431974607028985858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2021</a></blockquote>Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afghan-interpreters-taliban-prosecution-terrorism-cases-2021-8">How Americans who helped prosecute the Taliban are going down a 'black hole' to help their Afghan interpreters</a>"If you focus on what we should do right now, recognize we're in the position we're in right now is because of terrible decisions made by two administrations," he said. "One, the Trump administration negotiating directly with the <keyword id="11892778" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="taliban" source="Orion">Taliban</keyword>, getting ready to invite them to Camp David, opening up a prison of 5,000 Taliban and probably ISIS-K individuals and letting them free. We don't know whether some of them were involved in the attack that occurred."These were the decisions that led to what you're seeing and the danger that exists at the airport. This should not have happened."The Thursday terrorist attack near the Kabul airport <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-updates-afghanistan-kabul-airport-blast-evacuation-2021-8">that killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 US service members</a> marked the deadliest day for US military members in the country since 2011.Romney was also critical of Biden's decision <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cruz-biden-vacating-bagram-air-base-afghanistan-catastrophic-taliban-kabul-2021-8">to close</a> <keyword id="11971767" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bagram" source="Orion">Bagram</keyword> Air Base in Afghanistan, which was once the largest US military base in the country but has since fallen to the Taliban.The key facility was abandoned by the US ahead of the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.Romney went on to say that the fight against terrorism will continue, even with troops out of the country."You can't, as one party, end a war," he said. "It takes two parties to end a war. The Taliban and the radical violent jihadists in the world haven't stopped fighting. They're going to continue to fight us. The war is not over."While Romney focused on Biden and Trump in his criticism, the handling of the war was also overseen by former President George W. Bush, who first deployed US troops to Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, along with former President Barack Obama, who sent 30,000 additional troops to the country in late 2009.

Mitt Romney, criticizing Trump and Biden, says the US is facing situation in Afghanistan 'because of terrible decisions made by two administrations'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>American forces on Thursday destroyed the last <keyword id="11937984" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cia" source="Orion">CIA</keyword> outpost in <keyword id="11892774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="afghanistan" source="Orion">Afghanistan</keyword>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/28/us/politics/cia-base-destroyed-kabul.html">US officials told The New York Times</a>.</li><li>Eagle Base in Kabul was demolished order to keep sensitive information out of Taliban hands.</li><li>Most Kabul residents had minimal knowledge of the highly-secure facility.</li></ul>American forces on Thursday destroyed the last CIA outpost in Afghanistan outside of the <keyword id="11893624" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kabul-airport" source="Orion">Kabul airport</keyword> in order to keep sensitive equipment and information away from the Taliban, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/28/us/politics/cia-base-destroyed-kabul.html">US officials told The New York Times</a>.A controlled demolition was utilized to blow up Eagle Base, a former brick factory repurposed into a facility employed to train counterterrorism forces of Afghanistan's <keyword id="11971446" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="intelligence-agencies" source="Orion">intelligence agencies</keyword>, according to The Times.As the <keyword id="11921988" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="afghan-government" source="Orion">Afghan government</keyword> was crumbling in the wake of the Taliban's advances throughout the country, the forces at Eagle Base were some of the only remaining officials who continued their efforts to fight the insurgents.Former CIA officer Mick Mulroy, who served in Afghanistan, praised the unit while speaking with The Times."They were an exceptional unit," he said. "They were one of the primary means the Afghan government has used to keep the Taliban at bay over the last 20 years. They were the last ones fighting, and they took heavy casualties."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afghan-interpreters-taliban-prosecution-terrorism-cases-2021-8">How Americans who helped prosecute the Taliban are going down a 'black hole' to help their Afghan interpreters</a>According to The Times, local Afghan residents didn't know much about the facility, as it was heavily fortified with walls that reached 10 feet and a thick metal gate that quickly opened and closed to permit vehicles inside the perimeter.Once the vehicles were inside, they went through three security checkpoints and searches, with documents also being screened before any visitors were authorized inside the base facility.A former CIA contractor told The Times that the action needed to be taken to prevent hard drives and sensitive equipment from being used by a Taliban-led government - and unlike embassies, documents simply couldn't be burned to shield confidential information.The obliteration of the base was already in the works and was unrelated to the terrorist attack on Thursday at the Kabul airport <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-updates-afghanistan-kabul-airport-blast-evacuation-2021-8">that killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 US service members</a>. The bombing that day was carried out by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-isis-k-islamic-states-afghanistan-affiliate-taliban-enemy-2021-8">ISIS-K</a>, the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group, <a href="https://twitter.com/vmsalama/status/1430974898210492423">which claimed responsibility</a> for the attack.The destruction of the base unnerved many Kabul residents who heard the explosion and were fearful that another terrorist attack was possibly being carried out.At the Kabul airport, evacuees are still being flown out of the country, which is expected to last through the end of the month, when Taliban officials are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taliban-could-shut-kabul-airport-if-troop-withdrawal-extended-ben-wallace-2021-8">demanding</a> that the US adhere to the August 31 deadline of withdrawing troops from the country.

US destroys CIA outpost outside Kabul airport to keep sensitive information away from Taliban: report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Global leaders condemned the attacks on <keyword id="11892912" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kabul" source="Orion">Kabul</keyword> airport that killed US troops and civilians.</li><li>At least two blasts occurred Thursday: at the airport's Abbey Gate, and another at the Baron Hotel.</li><li>Dozens of Afghans and 12 US service members were killed in the explosions, according to reports.</li></ul>World leaders condemned the attacks outside the Hamid Karzai <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international" source="Orion">International</keyword> Airport in Kabul, <keyword id="11892774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="afghanistan" source="Orion">Afghanistan</keyword>, on Thursday that killed dozens of Afghans and US troops there.At least <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-updates-afghanistan-kabul-airport-blast-evacuation-2021-8">two explosions were detonated</a> near the Kabul airport. The first blast occurred at the Abbey Gate of the airport, and the second at the Baron Hotel nearby. At least 60 Afghans and 12 US troops - 11 Marines and one Navy medic - were killed in the blasts, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-france-evacuations-kabul-9e457201e5bbe75a4eb1901fedeee7a1?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter=Twitter">the Associated Press</a> reported.Political leaders around the globe swiftly denounced the violence. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg <a href="https://twitter.com/jensstoltenberg/status/1430914579563835405">tweeted</a> that he "strongly" condemned the "horrific terrorist attack.""My thoughts are with all those affected and their loved ones," Stoltenberg wrote. "Our priority remains to evacuate as many people to safety as quickly as possible."French President Emmanuel Macron <a href="https://www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-macron/2021/08/26/attaques-terroristes-de-laeroport-de-kaboul">said</a> he "condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks that took place near Kabul airport today, expresses his condolences to the families of the American and Afghan victims, expresses his support for the wounded, and salutes the heroism of those who are on the ground to carry out the evacuation operations.""France will see them through to the end and will maintain over time its humanitarian and protection efforts for Afghans at risks," Macron said in a statement.European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the attacks "cowardly and inhuman," adding that it is "essential to do everything to ensure the safety of people at the airport.""The international community must work closely together to avoid a resurgence of terrorism in Afghanistan and beyond," von der Leyen <a href="https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1430923180462456834">wrote</a> on Twitter.Following the announcement that Canada would end its evacuation mission in Afghanistan on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said "this is a very difficult day, not just for Afghans but for people around the world, including in Canada, who have long been deeply committed to the Afghan people and a better future for Afghanistan."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afghan-interpreters-taliban-prosecution-terrorism-cases-2021-8">How Americans who helped prosecute the Taliban are going down a 'black hole' to help their Afghan interpreters</a>"We all understand that the speed with which the Taliban took over Kabul rendered this an extraordinarily difficult situation for our allies, for Canadians and especially for Afghans," Trudeau told reporters during a campaign event in Quebec City.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country would continue its evacuation efforts, which he said was in the "final stages" following the "barbaric" attacks outside the airport, saying the blasts demonstrates "the importance of continuing that work in as fast and as efficient a manner as possible in the hours that remain to us."German Chancellor Angela Merkel <a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/merkel-condemns-heinous-afghan-airport-attack-01630002915?tesla=y">said</a> those behind the explosions "targeted people waiting at the airport gates who were hoping to leave.""They wanted security and freedom, and that is why it is an absolutely heinous attack in a very, very tense situation," Merkel said.The external affairs ministry in India denounced the attacks outside the Kabul airport, extending their "heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of this terrorist attack.""Our thoughts and prayers also go out to the injured," the ministry said in a statement, citing a report by the <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-condemns-kabul-airport-attack-101630004783854-amp.html">Hindustan Times</a>.In <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-reamarks-following-afghanistan-attacks-2021-8">mournful remarks</a> delivered Thursday, President Joe Biden pledged to "hunt down" the "ISIS terrorists" behind the explosions."We will not forgive. We will not forget," he said. "We will hunt you down and make you pay."

World leaders condemn 'cowardly and inhuman' blasts outside the Kabul airport that killed dozens of Afghans and US troops

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11931576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="isis-k" source="Orion">ISIS-K</keyword> claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in <keyword id="11892912" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kabul" source="Orion">Kabul</keyword> that killed at least 13 US service members.</li><li>The <keyword id="11892778" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="taliban" source="Orion">Taliban</keyword> and ISIS-K, the Islamic State's <keyword id="11892774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="afghanistan" source="Orion">Afghanistan</keyword> affiliate, are sworn enemies.</li><li>ISIS-K "will attempt to erode the Taliban's governance and attack the Taliban's religious legitimacy on the ground," one expert said.</li></ul>President Joe Biden and his advisors in recent days warned of the potential for an attack by ISIS-K as US troops scrambled to evacuate thousands of people via the Kabul airport. On Thursday, there was a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/there-was-an-explosion-outside-kabul-airport-pentagon-2021-8">deadly blast</a> outside Hamid Karzai <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international" source="Orion">International</keyword> Airport in Afghanistan's capital city. The Pentagon confirmed that at least 13 US service members were killed in the attack, and at least 18 were wounded. Dozens of Afghans were also <a href="https://twitter.com/JimLaPorta/status/1430976516473692174?s=20">killed and wounded</a>. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, head of US Central Command, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-us-general-warns-isis-attacks-likely-to-continue-afghanistan-2021-8">attributed the fatal explosion to ISIS-K</a>. The terror group also officially claimed responsibility for the blast. "The threat from <keyword id="11900894" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="isis" source="Orion">ISIS</keyword> is extremely real," McKenzie said during a press conference on Thursday. "We believe it is their desire to continue those attacks, and we expect those attacks to continue."Earlier in the week, Biden said, "Every day we're on the ground is another day we know that ISIS-K is seeking to target the airport and attack both US and allied forces and innocent civilians."<h2>ISIS-K is the Taliban's sworn enemy </h2>ISIS-K - the Islamic State in Khorasan Province or ISIS-Khorasan - is the Islamic State's affiliate in Afghanistan. Khorasan is the historic name for the region in Central Asia that includes parts of Afghanistan.The Taliban and ISIS-K are sworn enemies and have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-push-for-afghanistan-withdrawal-give-isis-a-big-opening-2019-8">fighting for years</a>. ISIS-K views the Taliban as apostates, and not devout enough in terms of its approach to Islam. The group's leaders denounced the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/25/us/politics/isis-terrorism-afghanistan-taliban.html">The New York Times reported</a>. Along these lines, ISIS-K has an interest in conducting attacks that would induce chaos, embarrass the Taliban, and make it harder for the militant group to tighten its grip over Afghanistan.The Taliban's victory "puts significant pressure on ISIS to demonstrate its continued relevance to global jihad, which will make ISIS more dangerous as it attempts to prove the organization's capability and relevance," Jennifer Cafarella, a national security fellow at the Institute for the Study of War, told Insider."Spectacular attacks in Afghanistan and attempts to conduct such attacks in the West are highly likely in coming weeks and months," Cafarella added. "ISIS will attempt to erode the Taliban's governance and attack the Taliban's religious legitimacy on the ground."Amira Jadoon, an assistant professor at the US Military Academy at West Point, agreed, telling Insider that ISIS-K "will seek to exploit the current volatility in Afghanistan to launch attacks to increase their own political relevance and sow discord."<h2>ISIS-K 'remains a potent threat'</h2>ISIS-K first emerged in 2015, and staged attacks <a href="https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/mappingmilitants/profiles/islamic-state-khorasan-province#highlight_text_9306">as early as April of that year.</a> This was less than a year after ISIS took over a large swath of territory in Iraq and Syria, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28082962">declaring a caliphate</a> (which has since collapsed). "[ISIS-K] has received support from the Islamic State's core leadership in Iraq and Syria since its founding in 2015," per <a href="https://www.csis.org/programs/transnational-threats-project/past-projects/terrorism-backgrounders/islamic-state-khorasan">a 2018 report</a> from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). As the Islamic State lost territory, it "increasingly turned to Afghanistan as a base for its global caliphate," CSIS said.Militants who left the Taliban (in both Afghanistan and Pakistan) were among the founders of the group. "ISIS had sent representatives to both Pakistan and Afghanistan. They were essentially able to co-opt some disaffected Pakistani Taliban and a few Afghan Taliban [members] to join their cause," Seth Jones, an Afghanistan specialist at CSIS, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/08/26/1031349674/isis-k-taliban-who-what-you-need-to-know">told NPR.</a>The current leader of ISIS-K is Shahab al-Muhajir, and the group is assessed to have somewhere between 1,500 to 2,000 fighters in Afghanistan, according to <a href="https://www.undocs.org/en/S/2021/486">a UN report</a> from June. The group has been "forced to decentralize," the UN said, and is primarily made up of cells spread out across the country that act autonomously but share the same ideology. "Despite territorial, leadership, manpower and financial losses during 2020" ISIS-K "continues to pose a threat to both the country and the wider region," the UN report said.The UN said that in the first four months of 2021 alone, ISIS-K conducted 77 attacks in Afghanistan. This marked a significant increase from the same period in 2020, where the number of attacks claimed by or attributed to ISIS-K stood at 21."ISIS-K has struggled to gain a large foothold in Afghanistan but it remains a potent threat and one of the most important affiliates to the ISIS global organization," Cafarella said.Though ISIS-K experienced "significant declines in its operation capacity" since it first emerged, it "renewed its violence" over the past two years, Jadoon added."Its underlying sources of strength remain: it has access to a sizeable militant pool for recruitment, porous borders, and an extensive network in Pakistan," she said. "ISIS-K will continue to use the peace deal as propaganda against the Taliban, and may also try to recruit more radical members of the Taliban or other militants who feel marginalized."

What is ISIS-K? The Islamic State's Afghanistan affiliate is the Taliban's enemy, and killed 13 US service members in Kabul

<ul class="summary-list"><li>YouTuber Najma Sadeqi, 20, was killed in a terror attack in Kabul on August 27, her colleagues said.</li><li>At least 169 Afghans and 13 US service members died in the suicide bombing.</li><li>In Sadeqi's final video, she said goodbye and asked her viewers to pray for her, CNN reported.</li></ul>Najma Sadeqi, a 20-year-old YouTuber and journalism student, died during a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-updates-afghanistan-kabul-airport-blast-evacuation-2021-8">suicide bombing</a> outside Kabul's <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international" source="Orion">international</keyword> airport on Thursday, her colleagues <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/30/tech/najma-sadeqi-afghanistan-youtube-cmd-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told CNN</a>.At least 169 Afghans and 13 US service members died in the bombing, and 200 more were wounded. The Biden administration <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-us-general-warns-isis-attacks-likely-to-continue-afghanistan-2021-8">attributed the fatal explosion</a> to the Islamic State's <keyword id="11892774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="afghanistan" source="Orion">Afghanistan</keyword> affiliate, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-isis-k-islamic-states-afghanistan-affiliate-taliban-enemy-2021-8">ISIS-K</a>. The organization claimed responsibility for the attacks on Thursday evening. Sadeqi had recently begun working as a reporter with the <keyword id="11894124" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="youtube" source="Orion">YouTube</keyword> <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">news</keyword> channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClGlf3Xv2ivz_1mHLyzuEIg/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afghan Insider</a> (no affiliation with Insider). The channel has about 25 million views on its videos, which follow young people living in Afghanistan.CNN <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/30/tech/najma-sadeqi-afghanistan-youtube-cmd-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke with</a> two of Sadeqi's colleagues, Rohina Afshar and Khawja Samiullah Sediqi, who confirmed her <keyword id="6355784" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="death" source="Orion">death</keyword>. They also said they feared for young people following their career path in the country. Afshar said she didn't have a job anymore and was too scared to leave her house in case she was recognized."I don't know how can we survive this situation," she said.The videos <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1VhhEKt32Q2z9SI-MYcfA/channels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on Sadeqi's channel</a> are no longer available to view, but <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/30/tech/najma-sadeqi-afghanistan-youtube-cmd-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN reported</a> that she recorded a video four days after the <keyword id="11892778" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="taliban" source="Orion">Taliban</keyword> took control of Afghanistan where she said goodbye."Since we are not allowed to work and go out of our homes, we all had to record you a last video," she said. "And through this video say goodbye to you all."Sadeqi said life in Kabul had become very difficult, and that she was scared to walk outside on the street. She asked her followers to pray for her."I wish it is a bad dream, I wish we can wake up one day," she said. "But I know that it is not possible." She added, "And it is a reality that we are finished."Her colleague Sediqi told CNN that dozens of young, talented Afghan people had started working for YouTube channels in recent years "not only to make a living but to find a platform to prove themselves and the progress Afghans had made in the last two decades.""But in the last couple of weeks, everything changed," he said. "We stopped producing new stuff, we are scared of being targeted, intimidated, or harmed."<a href="https://www.insider.com/culture">For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.</a>

An Afghan YouTuber was killed during the terror attack in Kabul, her colleagues said. In her final video, she said goodbye to her subscribers.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>President Joe Biden said Saturday another attack at the <keyword id="11893624" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kabul-airport" source="Orion">Kabul airport</keyword> is highly likely.</li><li>The Pentagon also warned Saturday that the threats are "still very real" and "very dynamic."</li><li>Roughly 117,000 people, including 5,400 Americans, have been evacuated amid the continued threats. </li></ul>President Joe Biden warned in a Saturday <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/08/28/statement-by-president-joe-biden-on-the-evacuation-mission-in-kabul/">statement</a> that another terrorist attack at the Kabul airport "is highly likely in the next 24-36 hours."Biden said he learned of the threats from his commanders, and "directed them to take every possible measure to prioritize force protection, and ensured that they have all the authorities, resources and plans to protect our men and women on the ground."He continued: "The situation on the ground continues to be extremely dangerous, and the threat of terrorist attacks on the airport remains high."Earlier Saturday morning, Pentagon officials told reporters in a press conference that threats of ISIS-K attacks "are still very real. They're very dynamic, and we are monitoring them literally in real time."A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-updates-afghanistan-kabul-airport-blast-evacuation-2021-8">suicide bombing at the airport</a> on Thursday killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 US service members. Biden vowed to respond with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-drone-strikes-the-islamic-state-in-afghanistan-2021-8">"force and precision"</a> to the attack, and Department of Defense Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters on Saturday that a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-drone-strikes-the-islamic-state-in-afghanistan-2021-8">retaliatory drone strike</a> had killed two ISIS-K members and injured a third.Kirby didn't provide details on the members' identities, nor their exact involvement with the airport bombings, though he said the terror group "lost a planner, and they lost a facilitator." He added that there were no civilian casualties.Both Biden and Kirby said Saturday that <keyword id="11902483" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="evacuation" source="Orion">evacuation</keyword> efforts are ongoing in the days leading up to August 31, when US troops plan to withdraw.Biden said on Friday, another 6,800 people were evacuated, including hundreds of Americans.As of Saturday morning, a total of 117,000 civilians and personnel have been evacuated, including 5,400 Americans. Unified Command have received 30,000 <keyword id="11894650" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="afghan-refugees" source="Orion">Afghan refugees</keyword> since August 20, with six flights expecting to carry 2,000 refugees the the US.Kirby also said 8,000 Afghan applicants are currently being hosted and vetted at several military bases in the US.

Biden says a new attack at the Kabul airport is 'highly likely in the next 24-36 hours'

Haunting photos in Kabul show hundreds crowded at the airport gate waving their papers to be saved before the bombs went off

<ul class="summary-list"><li>White House press secretary <keyword id="11910489" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jen-psaki" source="Orion">Jen Psaki</keyword> has dismissed calls for President Joe <keyword id="60973" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biden" source="Orion">Biden</keyword> to resign.</li><li><keyword id="11917127" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gop" source="Orion">GOP</keyword> lawmakers are asking Biden to step down after suicide bombings in <keyword id="11892912" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kabul" source="Orion">Kabul</keyword> killed 13 service members.</li><li>"It's not a day for politics," said Psaki, adding that August 26 should be about honoring the lives of US military members who died in the blasts.</li></ul>White House press secretary Jen Psaki on August 26 dismissed calls from GOP lawmakers for President Joe Biden to resign over the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/there-was-an-explosion-outside-kabul-airport-pentagon-2021-8">suicide bombings outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport</a> in Kabul, <keyword id="11892774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="afghanistan" source="Orion">Afghanistan</keyword>, that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-updates-afghanistan-kabul-airport-blast-evacuation-2021-8?utm_source=copy-link&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=topbar#us-troops-were-killed-in-an-explosive-attack-at-kabuls-airport-pentagon-saysgon-says">killed at least 13 US military members</a> and dozens of Afghans. "I would say, first, this is a day where US service members - 12 of them - lost their lives at the hands of terrorists," <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/08/26/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-jen-psaki-august-26-2021/">Psaki said.</a>A 13th service member was declared dead following Psaki's remarks. "I can confirm that subsequent to Gen. McKenzie's remarks, a thirteenth US service member has died from his wounds suffered as a result of the attack on Abbey Gate," a spokesperson from CENTCOM said. "It's not a day for politics, and we would expect that any American, whether they're elected or not, would stand with us in our commitment to going after and fighting and killing those terrorists wherever they live, and to honoring the memory of service members. And that's what this day is for," Psaki added. Biden is <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/08/26/gop-lawmakers-ramp-up-calls-for-bidens-resignation-removal-over-kabul-attacks/?sh=588f7cc739a5">facing calls to resign from at least 20 House Republicans</a> and conservative figures like Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/tennessee-senator-calls-on-biden-to-resign-after-afghanistan-attacks-took-american-lives-kabul-airport-talibank-isis-k-joe-biden-marsha-blackburn">Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn</a>. "To say that today's loss of American lives in Kabul is sickening does not begin to do justice to what has happened. It is enraging. And Joe Biden is responsible. It is now clear beyond all doubt that he has neither the capacity nor the will to lead. He must resign," Hawley <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1430991129638539269?s=20">tweeted</a> on August 26. Haley <a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1430935937068961793?s=20">also tweeted on August 26</a>: "Should Biden step down or be removed for his handling of Afghanistan? Yes. But that would leave us with Kamala Harris which would be ten times worse. God help us. #ItDidntHaveToBeThisWay #GodBlessOurTroops #AfghanistanDisaster." According to Andrew Solender, a reporter for The Hill, Georgia lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene also sent out a campaign fundraising email on August 26 after the Kabul bombings titled "MTG impeaches Joe Biden," calling for the president to be removed from his post. Biden on Thursday <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-reamarks-following-afghanistan-attacks-2021-8">promised to complete the evacuation of Americans</a> from Afghanistan. The president also said that he had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-says-he-has-ordered-retaliatory-strike-on-isis-k-2021-8">ordered the US military commanders to formulate a plan for a retaliatory strike</a> against the terrorist organization, which will take place at a time of America's choosing. "We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2vsJOj8gVc">Biden said,</a> speaking to ISIS-K directly during his address to the nation on Thursday. <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/26/middleeast/gallery/kabul-deadly-blasts-afghanistan-airport/index.html">Horrific images and videos</a> have been coming out of Kabul, with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-updates-afghanistan-kabul-airport-blast-evacuation-2021-8?utm_source=copy-link&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=topbar#witnesses-describe-scenes-of-horror-following-attacks-at-kabul-airport-airport">witnesses to the deadly bombings</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-updates-afghanistan-kabul-airport-blast-evacuation-2021-8?utm_source=copy-link&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=topbar#afghan-interpreter-who-witnessed-kabul-explosions-says-a-baby-girl-died-in-his-arms-as-he-tried-to-save-hersave-her">describing the moment when people were blown up before their eyes</a> and how children <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-updates-afghanistan-kabul-airport-blast-evacuation-2021-8?utm_source=copy-link&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=topbar#afghan-interpreter-who-witnessed-kabul-explosions-says-a-baby-girl-died-in-his-arms-as-he-tried-to-save-hersave-her">died in the arms of rescuers</a>.The current tally from the suicide blasts is believed to be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-updates-afghanistan-kabul-airport-blast-evacuation-2021-8?utm_source=copy-link&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=topbart=topbar">more than 60 deaths and 140 injuries.</a> Afghan health officials and Taliban representatives are offering differing casualty numbers. The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-france-evacuations-kabul-9e457201e5bbe75a4eb1901fedeee7a1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AP</a> and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/western-nations-race-complete-afghan-evacuation-deadline-looms-2021-08-25/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a> have reported that at least 60 Afghans were killed in the suicide blasts, while <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/26/world/asia/kabul-airport-bombing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The New York Times</a> is reporting that 120 to 140 people were injured.

You Searched For "kabul bomb attack" and got 10 results

Republican Sen. Ben Sasse accuses Biden of using 'happy talk' in Afghanistan approach, says he is 'disconnected from reality'

John L. Dorman

Biden pays respects to the 13 fallen US service members killed in Afghanistan at Dover Air Force Base

John L. Dorman

Mitt Romney, criticizing Trump and Biden, says the US is facing situation in Afghanistan 'because of terrible decisions made by two administrations'

John L. Dorman

US destroys CIA outpost outside Kabul airport to keep sensitive information away from Taliban: report

John L. Dorman

World leaders condemn 'cowardly and inhuman' blasts outside the Kabul airport that killed dozens of Afghans and US troops

Lauren Frias

What is ISIS-K? The Islamic State's Afghanistan affiliate is the Taliban's enemy, and killed 13 US service members in Kabul

John Haltiwanger

An Afghan YouTuber was killed during the terror attack in Kabul, her colleagues said. In her final video, she said goodbye to her subscribers.

Lindsay Dodgson

Biden says a new attack at the Kabul airport is 'highly likely in the next 24-36 hours'

Francis Agustin,Michelle Mark

Haunting photos in Kabul show hundreds crowded at the airport gate waving their papers to be saved before the bombs went off

Kelly McLaughlin

The White House says it is 'not a day for politics' amid calls for Biden's resignation after the Kabul suicide bombings

Cheryl Teh