Mohammad Sharifullah sat in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Monday as a jury convicted him of supporting a deadly conspiracy. Justice Department prosecutor Ryan White told the court that Sharifullah played a crucial role in planning the 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate, an attack that killed 13 U.S. service members and roughly 170 Afghans. The defendant was also linked to a March 2024 attack at a Moscow concert hall that claimed 140 lives. During the trial, defense attorney Lauren Rosen argued that the prosecution lacked physical evidence tying her client to the bombing, noting that he “didn’t know much about what actually happened that day.” However, the jury was moved by evidence of his involvement with ISIS-K, the Islamic State’s regional branch. This conviction brings a measure of earthly justice to a tragedy that remains a deep wound for many American families. It is a reminder that the shadows of the past still haunt our present, and that the duty to protect the innocent from radical evil remains our most solemn charge.