Christy Shamblin, whose daughter-in-law Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee was one of the 13 American service members killed in an ISIS-K terror attack during the chaotic August 2021 U.S. pullout from Afghanistan, said the Trump administration’s recent detainment of an alleged terrorist responsible is “bittersweet.”
“It was shocking,” she said of learning that alleged ISIS-K devotee Mohammad Sharifullah, who was in court Wednesday, had been arrested for his purported role in the deadly attack. “The words bittersweet are my favorite ones to put to this because it’s always hard.”
Shamblin continued, “Here’s a man who … we watched celebrate Nicole’s death and 12 others that died with her, and it’s very difficult.”
Despite the pain Shamblin and her family continue to experience as they navigate Gee’s loss, she also noted that it’s “extremely reassuring” that the Trump administration “cares and…is focused on it and is going to get results.”
Shamblin has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration, claiming in past interviews there was virtually no communication between her family and officials after the deadly terror attack.
In contrast, she said the Trump administration has been in regular contact.
“It’s night and day difference,” she said. “The Biden-Harris administration never reached out to our families — ever. … Their entire administration was busy covering up the fact that Biden was not competent, and it took all the focus away from everything that needed to be happening to protect Americans, and protect our troops and our interests.”
Shamblin believes the Trump administration is working to give “full transparency” and said she and others are permitted to ask tough questions — queries they do their best to answer.
She said Sharifullah’s arrest, which Trump announced to the world Tuesday night during his speech before a joint session of Congress, was made known hours earlier to her family.
“In the afternoon on Tuesday, we got a phone call and it was from the White House Situation Room,” Shamblin said. “And we waited on hold for a bit until the president came on the line, along with [Rep.] Michael Waltz and Dr. Sebastian Gorka, and let us know that they had this man on the plane.”
She said Trump spoke directly to the family and offered information on Pakistan’s involvement in helping catch Sharifullah. The White House wanted the family to know before it was announced broadly.
“I truly believe [Trump] cares about all the American people and we just are lucky enough to have a glimpse of it,” she said of her family’s interactions with the commander-in-chief. “He thanked us for our support, and then he just got right down to business.”
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Ultimately, Shamblin, who appreciated Trump’s approach, said her goal is to help prevent any other families from experiencing the pain and loss she and her family faced — a tragedy that has created a “day-to-day struggle” for her, her son, and family members.
Shamblin, who is working to offer advice to the administration about how to stop future scenarios like what happened at Abbey Gate, asked the public for specific prayers for her family.
“Pray for peace,” she said. “You have to create an entire new life that you don’t want to create. We were happy with our life before, but we have to create new lives — and it’s very hard to do that.”
Sharifullah is accused of helping plan the Kabul bombing, with the U.S. Department of Justice charging him with providing support and resources to a foreign terrorist organisation, according to the BBC.
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