Fourth Anniversary of the Attack at Abbey Gate, 2025
This is a presidential proclamation, not a statute. It commemorates the fourth anniversary of the Abbey Gate attack at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport (August 2021), honors the 13 U.S. service members who were killed and those wounded, and honors Gold Star families and all service members who have served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and related areas. It criticizes the prior administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal and asserts that the current administration (the speaker) has pursued justice and a stronger, more principled foreign policy based on “peace through strength.” The proclamation declares August 26, 2025, as a day of remembrance for the Abbey Gate attack and calls Americans to remember and honor those who sacrificed for the country. Although primarily a ceremonial statement, the proclamation also reinforces a political narrative: it frames the 2021 withdrawal as a mistake, asserts actions taken to pursue those responsible, and emphasizes a policy stance aimed at strengthening national security and sovereignty. There is no new law or funding authority in such proclamations; its impact is largely in symbolic recognition and public messaging.
Key Points
- 1Proclaims August 26, 2025, as a day of commemoration for the fourth anniversary of the Abbey Gate attack and urges Americans to remember the fallen and honor Gold Star families.
- 2Recounts the 2021 Kabul attack, the 13 U.S. service members killed, 45 wounded, and over 160 civilians injured, and memorializes those who died or were wounded.
- 3Criticizes the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal under the Biden administration, describing it as disastrous and tied to the abandonment of Afghan allies and the loss of U.S. credibility.
- 4Announces that a ISIS jihadi responsible for the Kabul attack was apprehended early in the speaker’s second term and emphasizes a foreign policy centered on “peace through strength.”
- 5Affirms the President’s commitment to protecting American lives, defending interests, and upholding sovereignty, and to supporting Gold Star families and all veterans.