A day after a Gold Star father from Norco interrupted the State of the Union address to remind President Joe Biden of the 13 Marines killed in a suicide bombing at Kabul airport during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a local congressman Friday joined the parents of some of those killed in criticizing Biden’s “silence” on the tragedy.
In a statement Friday, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Temecula, joined with Gold Star family members Coral Briseno, Darin Hoover, Cheryl Jules, Alicia Lopez, Steven Nikoui, Mark Schmitz and Christy Shamblin — who all lost loved ones in the 2021 bombing — in calling out Biden for what they described as a lack of accountability.
“Last night was a lost opportunity — once again — for President Biden to finally speak in public about the 13 servicemembers lost in the bombing in Afghanistan on Aug. 26, 2021,” the statement released by Issa’s office read. “Once again, he was silent.
“So a Gold Star family member spoke out instead. He made sure the President heard the words `Abbey Gate,’ where his son and 12 other heroes fell in service to our country. He spoke for all of us. And he did nothing wrong. His frustration, anger and disappointment follow more than two-and-a-half years of delay, denial and silence.”
Abbey Gate is the entrance to Hamid Karzai International Airport, where a large explosive device was detonated by an ISIS-K terrorist, according to reports. The blast killed 13 Americans and at least 170 Afghans.
The man who yelled the words at Biden on Thursday was identified by U.S. Capitol Police as Steven K. Nikoui, who was a guest of Rep. Brian Mast, R-Florida. Nikoui, 51, of Norco, is the father of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, who was among those killed in Kabul. The younger Nikoui was also from Norco.
Kareem Nikoui, 20, was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton.
Capitol police warned Nikou to stop, but he refused and was subsequently removed and arrested. Police said he faces charges of “crowding, obstructing, or incommoding.”
The 13 Marines who died in that explosion have been a frequent talking point for Issa, who blames Biden for what he has called a poorly planned and short-sighted withdrawal from America’s longest war.
Issa’s office was and remains heavily involved in rescue operations for American interpreters and others allies from the reinstated Taliban government in Afghanistan.
Following the withdrawal, Biden praised the “extraordinary success of this mission.”
Issa and the families disagreed.
“The families have been denied the personal possessions of their loved ones,” Issa said in the Friday statement. “They have been denied their rightful access to military bases as clearly allowed by law. And they’ve been denied any kind of complete accounting of the events of that day. Biden has never made this right.
“He said nothing. But we will never be silent. This isn’t over.”