Abbey Gate survivor discusses evacuation challenges and calls for accountability

<p>Retired Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, a survivor of the Abbey Gate bombing, stated on Saturday that U.S. Marines faced significant challenges during the evacuation of Afghanistan due to inadequate preparation and support. He described the situation as chaotic, with overwhelming crowds leading up to the August 26, 2021, suicide bombing.</p><p>Vargas-Andrews, who lost his right arm and left leg in the attack, indicated that Marines at Hamid Karzai International Airport had to adapt to the circumstances on the ground, despite receiving warnings from leadership about the potential dangers of the evacuation.</p><p>He emphasized that the failures leading to the attack began well before the first explosion and reiterated his call for accountability. Vargas-Andrews remarked, "Everything we were doing while we were there was like figuring it out on the go," while also acknowledging the Marines' training to "adapt, improvise and overcome." </p><p>He noted the lack of support during the evacuation, stating, "We were giving [the refugees] our food. We were giving them our water. There was no tent set up to process refugees." </p><p>Vargas-Andrews compared the chaotic scene to a movie, saying, "It was just hundreds of thousands of people. And if I filled up the whole room with sand, that's how many people it felt like [were] there." </p><p>He expressed that the situation could have been better prepared for in the weeks and months leading up to the evacuation, stating, "And that decision was never made." </p><p>Vargas-Andrews mentioned that troops had received intelligence warning of a threat but claimed that no proactive measures were taken to prevent it. He did not assign blame to any single individual or group but pointed to multiple administrations, the State Department, and other organizations, citing "decades of action and inaction and just poor decision-making." </p><p>While Vargas-Andrews welcomed the recent recognition by the Department of War for Marines who served during the evacuation, he expressed concern that these awards should not overshadow the lack of accountability. He stated, "It's a good step in the right direction, is what I will say. I think that the real important things still haven't happened, but we hope it does and we pray that it does." </p>