Rep. Issa, Gold Star families issue rebuke to Biden for not acknowledging 2021 Kabul airport attack

A day after a Gold Star father from Southern California interrupted the State of the Union address to remind President Joe Biden of the 13 Marines killed in a suicide bombing at Kabul airport during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a Congressman today joined the parents of some of those killed in criticizing Biden's "silence'' on the tragedy.

 In a statement Friday, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Fallbrook, joined with Gold Star family members Coral Briseno, Darin Hoover, Cheryl Jules, Alicia Lopez, Steve Nikoui, Mark Schmitz and Christy Shamblin -- who all lost loved ones in the 2021 bombing -- in calling out Biden for what they described as a lack of accountability.

Alicia Lopez is the mother of Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez, a 22-year-old La Quinta High School graduate who was among the 13 killed.

"Last night was a lost opportunity -- once again -- for President Biden to finally speak in public about the 13 servicemembers lost in the bombing in Afghanistan on Aug. 26, 2021,'' the statement read. "Once again, he was silent."

"So a Gold Star family member spoke out instead. He made sure the President heard the words 'Abbey Gate,' where his son and 12 other heroes fell in service to our country,'' it read. "He spoke for all of us. And he did nothing wrong. His frustration, anger and disappointment follow more than two-and-a-half years of delay, denial, and silence."

Abbey Gate is the entrance to Hamid Karzai International Airport a single explosive device was detonated by an ISIS-K terrorist, according to ABC News. The blast killed 13 Americans and at least 170 Afghans.   

The man who yelled the words at Biden on Thursday was identified by U.S. Capitol Police as Steven K. Nikoui, who was a guest of Rep. Brian Mast, R-Florida. Nikoui, 51, of Norco in Riverside County, is the father of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, who was among those killed in Kabul. The younger
Nikoui was also from Norco.

Kareem Nikoui, 20, was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton.

Capitol police warned Nikou to stop, but he refused and was subsequently removed and arrested. Police said he faces charges of "crowding, obstructing, or incommoding.''

The 13 servicemembers who died in that explosion have been a frequent talking point for Issa, who blames Biden for what he has called a poorly planned and shortsighted withdrawal from America's longest war.

His office was and remains heavily involved in rescue operations for American interpreters and other allies from the reinstated Taliban government in the Central Asian country.

Following the withdrawal, Biden praised the "extraordinary success of this mission."  

Issa and the families disagreed.   

"The families have been denied the personal possessions of their loved ones,'' Issa said in his statement. "They have been denied their rightful access to military bases as clearly allowed by law. And they've been denied any kind of complete accounting of the events of that day. Biden has never made this right."

"He said nothing. But we will never be silent. This isn't over,'' it concluded.

Biden used the speech to draw contrasts with himself and former President Donald Trump, as the two are nearly assured to face off in a rematch of 2020 this November for the role of Commander-in-Chief. The President also focused on reproductive rights and made a case for his administration's economic plan.