Blood mixes with water and shit. The smell of the explosive covers that of urine. The bodies float on the gutter that runs alongside the airport. And then many scattered human remains. The poor things abandoned by the refugees overlap with what remains of a patrol of marines.
The images that bounce to us from the Abbey Gate, the now famous gate where for days a sorrowful humanity fleeing, hoping to be pulled up by the wall, all there with their feet right in the putrid water of the drain, are gruesome. The survivors themselves take out their mobile phones and stare at the image of barbarism. It is their form of resistance, to say no to those who wanted so ignoble to hit them, as renegades hoping for a passage to the West, and together they wanted to hit at least the last American soldier. And not only that: the attack also wanted to hit the Taliban, to make it clear that the war is not over at all. On the contrary. Another one begins among Islamist fanatics.
The long-awaited, much-feared Isis-K suicide bombers finally struck. A double attack at the same time, which however does not end with the first explosions, but continues hours later, with two more explosions. The first target is the gate where the marines are on guard, to filter the documents of those who beg for a ride. After days of waiting and crowds, one or more suicide bombers stuffed with explosives managed to make their way through the crowd, certainly with some accomplice to lead the way, perhaps women to appear harmless. It’s a moment. When the suicide bombers got close enough to the marines, they blew themselves up. And it was carnage.
Not only 12 Marines have died and another 15 are seriously injured, but at least 72 are the victims among Afghans: men, women, and especially children. Hundreds of wounded. None of the Italian military.
“There are human remains everywhere,” says a witness excitedly on Afghan television who interviews him in front of the hospital. Truly an endless horror. “It was a big, very strong, violent explosion. We heard it well. It came precisely from where the Americans were, ”said Sayed, a former interpreter for the Italians and captain of the Afghan army, one of those who were waiting to pass by thousands. “My family and I were there with our two children, we’ve been there for four days. Many have died. We fled as far as possible ». A former interpreter for the British forces confirms: «It was like doomsday, people injured everywhere. I’ve seen people running with blood on their faces and bodies ». “They killed three people in front of my eyes. The canal has become blood-colored, ”wrote an Afghan girl to the NGO Cospe in Florence in a message.
It is women and especially children who pay the highest price because the families who were waiting to flee all have many children with them. “We receive desperate messages from mothers looking for their children in the crowd after the attack. A little while ago, one of them told us that she had found her children whom she had lost, ”they say from the Pangea non-profit organization which is working to secure many women. “It’s the worst time for them. They were beaten by the Taliban, without water or food, they waited there for them to open. There are children who faint, who put their hands over their eyes and ears so as not to see the terror. We are inundated with requests for help ».
Yet we knew. There had been a CIA report, sent to the Taliban and allied intelligence, which reported an imminent attack. We knew, therefore. But there was very little to do. I personally saw the Marine squad taking off last night at both North Gatem and Abbey Gate, and the one taking over. The Marines have been on 12-hour shifts, so those I saw taking positions knew they were almost certainly doomed to certain death. And I saw the anger and fear in his face.
The only hope of getting away with it, incredibly, had been entrusted to the Taliban. Because this is the paradoxical outcome of the crazy Afghan August. Since there is no safety measure that can be taken if a kamikaze approaches mixed in the crowd, and the Americans were forced to bring the crowd closer, the only way was to keep them away. Everything suggests that the director of the CIA and the heads of the new government have talked about this in recent days.
The various information from the US secret services, which certainly did not give up their grip on Kabul, had been “turned over” to the old enemies. To try to keep ISIS-K people away. The usual immortal logic that my enemy’s worst enemy is my friend.
Also for this reason the Taliban in recent days had closed the outermost checkpoints and allowed only those with a Western passport to pass. Because in their eyes this attack is the worst thing that could have happened and they have desperately tried to prevent it.
“We hope it is a sporadic case”, meanwhile NATO sources say. But pessimistic. «In the medium term, Afghanistan risks becoming a battleground between Islamists. ISIS wants to make the Taliban understand that the game is not over. The Taliban, who for the moment do not control anything because they are just 3500 militiamen for a city of five million inhabitants, will soon dedicate themselves to hunting down these enemies of theirs ”. It is no coincidence that the Taliban among the first initiatives had a certain number of anti-kamikaze barriers removed. The message is that they alone will bring peace and order.
How much they too were in their sights, now that they have come to terms with the American devil, is demonstrated by the second attack of the day. A car bomb exploded against a Taleban checkpoint near the Baron hotel, a short distance from the airport. The hotel is known for having US guests, but this time it wasn’t the target. They wanted to kill the militiamen who “protected” the marines.
Meanwhile, the repatriation operations were running at full speed. Because it was clear to everyone that every hour more and more increased exponentially to risks. After the attack, and after there were also gunshots in the air, but it is all to prove how connected they were to the suicide bombers, the tracks were closed for safety. The barred gates. The crowd dispersed in panic. And it was time to take the wounded away in all ways: by hand, with wheelbarrows, with stretchers, with taxis.
And now the very last stages of the airlift are on standby. The Germans finished in time. The British and the French are winding down. The Italians had evacuated 551 people aboard the Air Force planes and the last flight for 120 Afghans was scheduled, to be held by midnight, plus another C130J to evacuate military personnel and consul Tommaso Claudi. Now he is just waiting for an opportunity to take everyone away.