13 U.S. service members killed in attack outside Kabul airport

While U.S. helicopters, drones and other aircraft are used to monitor crowds and search for potential attackers, such as the Islamic State militant who struck Thursday outside the Kabul airport,[Marine Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., chief of U.S. Central Command] said, one of the last rings of security is in the hands of the Taliban, which has set up perimeters and checkpoints outside the airport.

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 [McKenzie] said the attack at the airport was “a failure somewhere,” given that the suicide bomber got close enough to U.S. service members to kill 11 Marines and one Navy corpsman. When asked if the Taliban let the attack happen, he said: “I don’t know.”

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McKenzie Jr., head of U.S. Central Command, told reporters Thursday that U.S. forces have relied on Taliban militants to monitor threats and in some cases thwart attacks, comments that came after an explosion that killed at least 12 U.S. troops.

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“As long as we’ve kept that common purpose alive, they’ve been useful to work with,” he said of the militant group that controls much of Afghanistan.

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...he noted that the military is “religiously” watching for threats against aircraft — even though it does not believe the Islamic State has the capability to strike military planes.

“We know that ISIS would like to get after that aircraft if they can,” McKenzie said, using another name for the Islamic State. He explained that “the safety of our aircraft coming in and out is of paramount importance.”

“Really, the aircraft are the only way we’re going to get people out of there,” he added.