Afghanistan, Politician: the US wanted to close Abbey Gate before the attack

• Strong explosion outside Kabul airport, it would be a suicide attack

• Afghanistan, extraordinary G7-EU-NATO summit.

  Di Maio: "The terrorist threat is concrete"

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August 30, 2021 The Pentagon was aware of an impending "mass casualty event" at Kabul airport, so much so that field commanders proposed a plan to close Abbey Gate by Thursday afternoon as well. 

But the Americans decided to keep the entrance open a little longer to allow British allies to continue the evacuation of their personnel, based at the nearby Baron Hotel. 

And at 18 local time a suicide bomber blew himself up at that gate, killing 13 marines and 200 civilians. It's Politico's reconstruction, based on three classified Pentagon conference calls.

With reference to the article, the Pentagon accused the 'Politico' website of endangering the Americans engaged in rescue operations in Kabul by publishing background in an "illegal way".