Vice President Kamala Harris has pledged that while the war in Afghanistan may be over, the United States’ commitment to preventing attacks on American soil remains unwavering.
In a statement marking the third anniversary of the ISIS-K attack on Abbey Gate in Kabul, Harris, the Democratic candidate in the upcoming U.S. election, reaffirmed Washington’s resolve to “deliver justice to terrorists” wherever they may be found.
“We will continue to deliver justice to terrorists who plot against America—just as we have over the last three years with the leaders of al-Qaeda and ISIS. And we will do so without deploying thousands of American troops to ground wars overseas,” Harris said.
The Abbey Gate attack, which occurred during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, claimed the lives of 100 Afghan civilians and 13 American service members.
In her statement, Harris noted that the war in Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of 2,461 American service members and left 20,744 others wounded.
Harris’s remarks come as a reminder of the enduring challenges the U.S. faces in counterterrorism efforts, even as it seeks to avoid large-scale military engagements abroad.