Steve Nikoui, the father of Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, who was killed in the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing, sharply criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. In an interview on NewsNation’s On Balance, Nikoui argued that the administration’s failure to prevent the bombing was a result of incompetence, rather than politics.
Nikoui pointed to the Doha Agreement, which he claimed the administration failed to follow. He also took issue with the decision to exit Afghanistan during the peak fighting season, rather than earlier in the year when the Taliban is less active. “If we would have left by the deadline of May 1, we would have avoided the worst of the fighting,” Nikoui said. “But instead, we waited until September 11, so the president could have a symbolic exit and look good.”
Nikoui’s son was one of 13 service members killed in the bombing, and he has been a vocal critic of the administration’s handling of the withdrawal. He has attended numerous congressional hearings and has spoken out about the need for accountability. In his interview, Nikoui expressed frustration that the administration has not done enough to mitigate the risks faced by American troops. “I think we expect our leaders to do everything they possibly can,” he said. “But in this case, they failed at every level.”
