Gold Star families who lost loved ones in Afghanistan in the final days of US operations will meet to mark two years since the fall of Kabul.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 The end of August and beginning of September conjures up different emotions for different people,
00:04 but for some Gold Star families who lost loved ones during the fall of Afghanistan now two years ago,
00:11 this time of year will always be marked with some pain and some sadness and questions for those who are in charge.
00:18 To mom, Ryan's dad, two years have passed,
00:23 but it isn't any easier for Paula Canals self to talk about the death of her son,
00:28 Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Christian Canals.
00:31 This is the final message he sent her on Snapchat this past Saturday,
00:35 marking two years since he was killed in a bombing in Afghanistan as the US withdrew troops after a nearly 20 year presence.
00:41 Canals was one of 13 American service members killed in what is now known as the Abbeygate bombing.
00:47 I just I couldn't believe that Ron was gone since that time.
00:52 Self has turned grief into action, which will be on full display this week in Washington,
00:56 as other Gold Star families who lost loved ones during the US withdrawal will participate in a Tuesday roundtable on Capitol Hill,
01:03 not only to mark two years, but also to bring attention to what happened.
01:07 Who is going to be taking responsibility for the loss of lives and that debacle?
01:14 Is it just the military that's to be blamed or was it because of political decisions?
01:20 The event occurring is Republicans on Capitol Hill continue their investigation into what happened within the last month.
01:25 The State Department turning over to Congress around 300 related documents.
01:30 Meanwhile, a separate bipartisan Afghanistan War Commission continues its multi year look into the conflict.
01:37 The White House earlier this year posting a 12 page review about the Afghanistan withdrawal on its website,
01:43 in which it placed some blame on the Trump administration for allowing the Taliban to become so organized.
01:48 The White House writing, we continue to mourn the loss of the 13 heroes and vow to continue to support their families.
01:54 The question of how Americans lost their lives isn't the only political debate happening two years later.
02:00 There remains frustration by some that the US isn't issuing more visas to help more citizens of Afghanistan now trapped under Taliban rule.
02:08 As for self, she just hopes this issue is on the minds of voters.
02:12 This election, who's going to take responsibility for causing such chaos?
02:16 Joe St. George, Scripps News, Washington.