A Gold Star mother whose son was killed in the fatal pullout from Afghanistan said she blamed President Biden for his death and two years later is still pursuing a degree.
On August 26, 2021, a suicide bomber detonated his deadly charge in front of the Abbey Gate of Kabul International Airport, killing 13 American soldiers and at least 170 Afghans in the chaos of the exit. Nearly two years later, the families are demanding accountability from the Biden administration.
Paula Knauss Selph, the Gold Star mother of Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Christian Knauss, told in an exclusive interview, “There was a lot of heartache, a lot of heartache.”
“There’s nothing quite like watching your child die before your eyes, before the world’s eyes,” she said while reflecting on the two years since Ryan’s death.
She shared that she met President Biden for the first and only time on Memorial Day 2022 at an event for Gold Star families in Washington, DC
Paula Knauss Selph and her son Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Christian Knauss
President Joe Biden lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 2022
“He was a beautiful baby,” weighing 10 pounds at birth, Selph fondly recalled. Ryan is pictured here with his older brother
During a meeting in the Oval Office, Biden told her, “I can understand if you’re angry.”
“I stood face to face with him,” she continued, saying, “I started to cry.”
“It should never have happened like this,” she told the president.
“He stood there stoically,” Selph said, rather than seeking an apology or a hug.
“Nothing out of his mouth except – Well, would you like to take a picture with me?”
Surprisingly, Selph replied that she would only like a picture if it showed the President next to her son’s headstone in Arlington National Cemetery.
“I can’t do that because the Secret Service won’t let me do that,” Biden replied.
“It’s a moral shame for a president to show no mercy to the people he serves.” “It’s a moral shame,” Selph told of her exchange with the president.
He thought the “sad occasion” was a “photo op,” rather than recognizing that it was a moment in time when he can never be with a mother who is grieving a child again, and that he had the chance had to change something, she continued.
“He had the chance to make a difference for my child.” About not making decisions and indecisions that cost him his life. And I hold him accountable,” she continued.
In contrast, Selph said General Mark Milley – the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – apologized to her at an event in Florida after Ryan’s death.
Though he’s not “innocent” about what happened to her son, she said she respects him more because he looked her in the eye and said, “I’m so sorry about what happened.”
She said the failures that led to Ryan’s death at Abbey Gate two years ago were not a partisan issue, but more of a “leadership issue.”
Her son Ryan always wanted to be in military service during his childhood, she told .
“He was a beautiful baby,” weighing 10 pounds at birth, Selph fondly recalled.
“Ryan was sure his whole life that he wanted to join the army.” And it’s a gratifying thing for me. But throughout his life he maintained that focus. He was so disciplined. He was so smart.’
While Ryan wasn’t a “martyr” or “a perfect human being,” he gave his life to help others live the American Dream.
“He protected us and gave a lot of people the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.” That’s what will long outlive us all.’
Selph is executive director of the Respect and Remember Foundation, which supports active military personnel, promotes recruitment and works with veterans’ organizations – all on behalf of Ryan.
Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Christian Knauss died August 26, 2021 at Abbey Gate
The Americans killed in the blast were: (left to right beginning with the top row) Cpl. Daegan W. Page – Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo – Sgt. Darin T. Hoover – Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza – Lance Cpl. Rylee J McCollum – Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui – Cpl. Hunter Lopez – Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz – Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss – Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez – Marine Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak – Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola – Sgt. Nicole L. Gee
Biden at the event at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day 2022
Taliban soldiers are pictured at the entrance of Afghanistan’s international airport in Kabul August 17, 2021, two days after the Taliban invaded the capital
The State Department released a damning 87-page report on the failure of the Afghan disengagement last month, just ahead of the July 4 long bank holiday weekend.
The investigation revealed serious leadership pitfalls and questions about who was in charge before and during the chaos that resulted in the deaths of 13 US soldiers and hundreds of Afghan civilians.
The State Department report repeatedly blamed the administrations of former President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden for their efforts before and after US forces withdrew from Kabul in August 2021.
“President Trump and President Biden’s decisions to end the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan had serious implications for the Afghan government’s viability and security,” the report said.
“These decisions are beyond the scope of this review, but the (review) team found that during both terms, senior management did not adequately consider worst-case scenarios and how quickly they could materialize.”
It also outlined several strategic failures in Taliban urban resettlement and stated that “worst-case scenarios” had not been sufficiently considered.
As a result, thousands of allies who had aided the US in the war were left behind, and chaos reigned at Hamid Karzai International Airport as men, women and children desperately tried to flee.
Biden stood by his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and ignored the report.