President Donald Trump recently announced the surprise arrest of Mohammad Sharifullah, who was allegedly involved in the killing of 13 U.S. service members at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan. His national security aides have criticized the Biden administration for being unable or unwilling to bring those responsible to justice. However, former Biden officials and defense officials say that the capture was the result of joint intelligence efforts between the U.S. and Pakistan targeting ISIS-K, and not solely due to Trump administration efforts.
According to the Biden officials, the capture of Sharifullah was a culmination of deliberate efforts and intelligence sharing that began many months prior to the arrest. They also highlighted the role of Gen. Michael Kurilla in strengthening relations and intelligence sharing with Pakistan. While Trump and his aides have taken credit for the arrest, the Biden administration has been credited with continuing intelligence sharing and pressuring Pakistan to locate the terrorist.
Despite Trump’s claims that Sharifullah was the architect of the attack, court documents show that he was recently released from prison and recruited to help prepare for the Abbey Gate bombing. Sharifullah admitted to scouting the route for the attacker and participating in other terrorist attacks in Moscow and Kabul. ISIS-K is a branch of the Islamic State that emerged in Syria and Iraq.
Overall, the capture of Sharifullah was a result of ongoing intelligence efforts between the U.S. and Pakistan, rather than just the work of the previous administration. The Biden administration’s continuation of these efforts ultimately led to the arrest of the alleged co-conspirator in the Abbey Gate attack.
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