The parents of US Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, who was killed during the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan, have accused the Biden administration of misleading them about the circumstances of his death.
Hoover, 31, was among the 13 US service members who lost their lives in a suicide bombing outside Kabul’s airport that also killed over 150 civilians trying to flee amid a chaotic US military evacuation from Afghanistan in late August 2021.
As the two-year mark since the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan approaches, Hoover’s parents are speaking out with the hopes of obtaining more information about the incident that led to their only son’s death.
During a congressional forum on Monday, Kelly Barnett, the mother of the US marine, characterized President Biden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and the Pentagon as “incompetent cowards” and “evil”, according to Fox News.
“We are told lies, given incomplete reports, incorrect reports, total disrespect,” Barnett said, blaming Biden’s administration for a lack of planning combined with Biden’s desire to meet his deadline for the hasty withdrawal that took her son’s life.
“I was told to my face, he died on impact. That’s not true. The only reason that I know this is because witnesses told me the truth,” Barnett claimed. “I was lied to and basically told to shut up.”
“Anything coming from the administration was all shutdown. We have had nothing for the last two years. So, my anger is directed at them, at the State Department, the DOD, the administration,” The US Marine’s father, Darin Hoover, said. “I want answers. I want accountability. I’ve said up before, and I will say it again,” he emphasized.
“To say that they’re satisfied with the withdrawal of our troops is nothing short of disgusting and ignorant.” he added.
The congressional forum was the first time the family and relatives of all 13 fallen troops gathered together to speak at a public event.
The catastrophic withdrawal of the US and NATO troops began on May 1, 2021, and ended on August 30 when the last troops were pulled out of Afghanistan, leading to the return of the Taliban to power and marking the end of the 20-year-long war.
Despite managing to evacuate over 120,000 people to safety, the US left tens of thousands of others behind, including those who had assisted the US over the past two decades.
