Trump counterterrorism official outlines Biden's 'missteps' leading to deadly Kabul bombings

A former top Trump administration counterterrorism official said that the Biden White House made a few critical missteps during evacuation efforts, leading up to the deadly bombings near the Kabul airport Thursday that killed four U.S. Marines.

"One of the most important and mistaken decisions that President Biden made was to withdraw from Bagram Air Base. Bagram Air Base is 30 or so miles north of the capital. It was a military facility. It was indeed the heart of American counterterrorism efforts in Afghanistan for years. It would have been a far better alternative for carrying out the evacuation that is now going on," Sales said.  Sales said that the base would have been "far better" for American evacuation efforts because it is remote, far from population centers and easier to defend and control access. Kabul's airport, on the other hand, is more dangerous and susceptible to attacks due to its location in the heart of the densely packed city center, surrounded by hotels, buildings and crowds of people.