Nothing will ever bring back the thirteen American lives lost at Abbey Gate in Kabul, or the hundreds of Afghan lives lost, or the catastrophic injuries to others. But this announcement by President Trump last night carries a small measure of justice.

During the joint address to Congress (the not-State of the Union), President Trump made a surprise announcement – one that had definitely not been on anyone’s radar or discussed during any of the “pre-game” shows.

Trump said that ISIS-operative Mohammad Sharifullah had been detained and would soon face the “swift sword of American justice.” Sharifullah is suspected to have planned the bombing that killed 13 American soldiers and 170 Afghan nationals as the Biden administration withdrew from Afghanistan.

“Three-and-a-half years ago, ISIS terrorists killed 13 American service members and countless others in the Abbey Gate bombing during the disastrous and incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan. Not that they were withdrawing, it was the way they withdrew,” Trump said. “Perhaps the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country. Tonight I’m pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity and he is right now on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice.”

Trump thanked Pakistan for its assistance in capturing Sharifullah.

Now, not only was this notable because of the arrest and extradition, but this was the VERY FIRST TIME that the Abbey Gate bombing, and the loss of 13 American servicemembers, had been mentioned by a president during a joint address or State of the Union. As those with a memory longer than a year will recall, Gold Star father Steve Nikoui, whose son was killed at Abbey Gate, was removed and arrested after the 2024 State of the Union by Joe Biden for his outbursts during the speech. (The charges were later dismissed.)

Steve Nikoui, the father of a Marine killed at Abbey Gate, was arrested and charged with a crime for disrupting the SOTU in 2024. He yelled "Abbey Gate" and "United States Marines." Biden never mentioned them in three SOTUs after their deaths.

— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) March 5, 2025

Nikoui had been outspoken about the lack of care by the Biden administration for these Gold Star families, and the incredible hurt was apparent when several of those families made an appearance at the Republican National Convention last summer. President Trump has spent time with the Gold Star families and the servicemembers who were gravely injured that day, including last Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery. While Trump was not commander in chief when these thirteen were killed, he has shown their loved ones much more consideration than Joe Biden ever did.

So not only was the announcement by President Trump impactful because it was unexpected, it was impactful because HE was the president making the announcement. And according to Matthew Foldi at the Washington Reporter, Trump informed the Gold Star Families about the arrest and extradition before the speech.

MAJOR JOINT ADDRESS NEWS:

Before his address, Trump called all of the parents in the Abbey Gate Coalition, a group of Gold Star families whose children were killed during President Joe Biden’s deadly, failed withdrawal from Afghanistan, Steve Nikoui, a Gold Star father whose… pic.twitter.com/SLqK7j3rEK

— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) March 5, 2025

The full post reads:

MAJOR JOINT ADDRESS NEWS:

Before his address, Trump called all of the parents in the Abbey Gate Coalition, a group of Gold Star families whose children were killed during President Joe Biden’s deadly, failed withdrawal from Afghanistan, Steve Nikoui, a Gold Star father whose son, Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, was killed at Abbey Gate, told the Reporter. During Trump’s speech, he declared that his administration extradited the mastermind of the Abbey Gate suicide terrorist attack.

“I can’t believe that after only 42 days in office that President Trump was able to catch and extradite the mastermind of the Abbey Gate bombing,” Nikoui told the Reporter. During Biden’s final State of the Union address, Nikoui was arrested for screaming his son’s name in the congressional chamber. “It is such a stark contrast to the previous administration that killed a family, including children, to deflect from its failures. I know that other families won’t have to endure what we had to, at least not for the next four years.”

FBI Director Kash Patel was on hand as Sharifullah arrived late last night in the United States. Also present were DNI Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

On the ground last night at Dulles airfield as FBI personnel and our DOJ + CIA partners delivered a terrorist wanted for the Afghanistan Abbey Gate murders.

To terrorists around the world responsible for harming Americans:

We will hunt the ends of the earth and find you. pic.twitter.com/NyxjfKyOlx

— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) March 5, 2025

This was a very good moment from a speech crowded with a lot of attention-getting moments. This announcement will never be able to bring back loved ones – but perhaps, for these Gold Star families, and for those living with the injuries inflicted at Abbey Gate, it can bring a sense of comfort and justice.

Featured image: original Victory Girls art by Darleen Click