John Kirby grilled over why US officials did not protect American forces if they knew ISIS-K attack was coming — but he refused to answer

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby refused to answer a question Monday inquiring why American officials did not take action to protect American forces at the Kabul airport last week if they knew an ISIS-K attack was imminent.

What is the background?

Politico reported Monday that top U.S. commanders knew approximately when and where the ISIS-K attack would occur.

In fact, about an hour and a half before the attack, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reportedly held a meeting and told top Pentagon officials to prepare for a forthcoming "mass casualty event." Politico based its report on classified notes obtained from that meeting.

Politico reported:

During the meeting, Gen. Mark Milley, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned of "significant" intelligence indicating that the Islamic State's Afghanistan affiliate, ISIS-K, was planning a "complex attack," the notes quoted him as saying.

Commanders calling in from Kabul relayed that the Abbey Gate, where American citizens had been told to gather in order to gain entrance to the airport, was "highest risk," and detailed their plans to protect the airport. "I don't believe people get the incredible amount of risk on the ground," Austin said, according to the classified notes.