Kabul airport bombing trial: Defence says Mohammad Sharifullah falsely confessed

A defence lawyer told a US federal jury that Mohammad Sharifullah gave a false confession. The case centres on the Abbey Gate suicide bombing at Kabul airport. The blast happened during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. About 160 Afghans and 13 US service members were killed on Aug 26, 2021.

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Jurors began deliberations on Tuesday in Virginia after closing arguments. Sharifullah did not testify during the weeklong trial. The charge alleges providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation resulting in death. If convicted, Sharifullah faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Abbey Gate bombing trial: defence challenges FBI interrogation

Defence attorney Lauren Rosen said prosecutors relied mainly on Sharifullah’s statements to FBI agents. Rosen argued there was no other proof linking Sharifullah to planning the bombing. Rosen said Sharifullah lied about scouting a route for the attacker. Rosen suggested Sharifullah tried to satisfy investigators during hours of questioning.

Rosen said Sharifullah may have feared torture in Pakistani custody before transfer to the US. Rosen told jurors Sharifullah lacked key knowledge about the attack. "The problem was, he didnt know much about what actually happened that day,\" Rosen told jurors. \"The government has told you nothing about how this attack actually happened.\"

Abbey Gate bombing trial: prosecutors allege wider ISIS-K role

Justice Department prosecutor Ryan White said Sharifullah helped plan the Abbey Gate bombing. White also linked Sharifullah to other attacks by ISIS-K. White cited the March 2024 Moscow concert hall attack, which killed roughly 140 people. \"The defendant thought nothing of killing,\" White said. \"For him, it was just another day at the office.\"

White said Sharifullah spoke to a journalist about targeting Americans. White said Sharifullah wanted to catch and kill \"the crusaders\" from the US. White tied that motive to the post-9/11 invasion of Afghanistan. \"This case is not complicated,\" White said. \"The defendant told you everything you need to know.\"

Abbey Gate bombing trial: dispute over who carried out the attack

Rosen argued US officials took ISIS claims at face value after the bombing. Rosen said ISIS propaganda should not be treated as confirmed fact. Rosen also suggested a Taliban offshoot controlled Abbey Gate that day. Rosen said that group could have had a role in the attack.

\"You cant base your verdict on mere conjecture and speculation,\" Rosen said. \"Thats what the prosecution is asking you to do.\" Rosen used that point to argue reasonable doubt. Rosen said the government did not provide a clear explanation of how the bomber reached the gate.

A US Central Command review identified the bomber as Abdul Rahman al-Logari. The review said al-Logari was an Islamic State militant. It said the Taliban had released al-Logari from an Afghan prison. An FBI affidavit said Sharifullah recognised the alleged bomber from time in custody.

In Congress, a former Marine described seeing two suspicious people that morning. The Marine said the group did not get permission to act. The Central Command review reached a different finding on that point. It said snipers had not actually spotted the bomber and the attack was not preventable.

Abbey Gate bombing trial: political and staffing fallout noted in court context

The trial followed political debate in the US over the Afghanistan withdrawal. President Donald Trump had highlighted Sharifullah’s capture in a speech to a joint session of Congress last year. During the most recent campaign, Trump criticised Joe Biden over the withdrawal. Trump blamed Biden for the Abbey Gate attack and the chaotic evacuation.

A prosecutor on the Abbey Gate matter, Michael BenArys, was fired last year. The removal followed public criticism by a right-wing commentator. The report described the move as part of a larger purge. It said Justice Department veterans were seen as not loyal enough to Trump, a Republican.

The jury in Virginia is now weighing competing accounts about Sharifullah’s role. Prosecutors argued Sharifullah’s own statements show involvement in the Abbey Gate plot. The defence said those words were unreliable and unsupported by other evidence. The verdict will decide whether Sharifullah faces a life sentence for the 2021 attack.

With inputs from PTI