(NewsNation) — Two years after a terrorist attack killed 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghan civilians during the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Gold Star families say they are still waiting for answers and accountability from the Biden administration.
“We’ve been lied to about what happened that day,” said Greg Page, father of Marine Cpl. Daegan W. Page, who was killed in the attack. “We have been hidden away to sweep this entire situation under the rug.”
The comments came during an emotional roundtable discussion with the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday afternoon.
Gold Star families said the Biden administration hasn’t been transparent about the attack and accused U.S. officials of putting politics ahead of their children’s lives.
Pentagon documents obtained by NewsNation suggest military leaders knew where ISIS-K operatives believed to be involved were staged prior to the bombing, but requests to strike the terrorist cell were denied.
Former Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who was wounded in the ambush, told Congress in March that he saw someone matching the description of the suspected attacker but never received a response about whether to take action.
On Tuesday, Herman Lopez — whose son Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez was killed — called on Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to release the “complete investigation” of the withdrawal from Afghanistan as well as a full account “of the actions and inactions” leading up to the attack at Abbey Gate.
Others demanded action from President Joe Biden specifically.
“Come forward, admit those mistakes, rectify the problem,” said Darin Hoover, father of deceased Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover. “This cannot and should not happen again.”
Paula Knauss Selph, Gold Star mother of Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Christian Knauss, said Biden and his cabinet “must accept responsibility publicly for the chaotic withdrawal.” She called for a clear explanation of how policies will change to prevent future tragedies.
Steve Nikoui, father of Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui who was just 20 years old when he was killed, said those who died deserve a formal ceremony.
“These kids need to be honored at the White House, in the Rose Garden, by this administration,” said Nikoui. “Denying their service and their sacrifice doesn’t lessen or waive the mistakes made, but it divides us and weakens us on the world stage.”
The committee’s chairman, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), announced Tuesday that one of the commanders on the ground, Lt. Col. Brad Whited, will be interviewed about what happened.
Whited was the commanding officer of Vargas-Andrews, who claimed to have the bomber in his sights but said he was denied permission to take the shot.
Meanwhile, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, promised “accountability” for the Gold Star Families in a statement shared with the committee Tuesday.
“We owe Gold Star families everything. We owe them transparency. We owe them honesty. We owe them accountability. We owe them the truth about what happened to their loved ones,” he said.
“I trust the Army, Navy and Marine Corp did the best they could in briefing the families who had loved ones killed at Abbey Gate,” Milley said. “I believe the briefers gave every piece of information that they could. If there were issues with that then we need to take whatever corrective action is necessary.”
Officials at the Pentagon continue to maintain that the attack “was not preventable.”
The suicide bombing at Abbey Gate was the deadliest day for U.S. service members in Afghanistan since 2011. Thirteen American servicemembers were killed and 45 others were wounded.