Just steps from the White House, a horrific attack unfolded that has shaken the nation and exposed glaring flaws in federal vetting processes.
On the eve of Thanksgiving, an Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, allegedly gunned down two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, D.C., killing one and leaving the other in critical condition, while sparking a firestorm over how he ever set foot on American soil, as Just the News reports.
Lakanwal’s story begins in Afghanistan, where he served with the elite Zero Unit forces, a CIA-backed group tied to the National Strike Unit (NSU) under the former Afghan government’s security directorate.
Based in Kandahar province at Firebase Gecko, a hub for CIA and U.S. special forces operations, Lakanwal reportedly started working with American intelligence around 2011.
Fast forward to August 2021, as the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan following the U.S. troop withdrawal directive, the CIA struck a deal with thousands of Zero Unit fighters like Lakanwal to secure Hamid Karzai International Airport during the chaotic evacuation.
In return for their role in guarding the airport perimeter and escorting civilians through the mayhem, these fighters and their families -- totaling between 10,000 to 12,000 individuals -- were promised a one-way ticket to the United States.
Lakanwal, who assisted in securing the airport, arrived in the U.S. with his family on Sept. 8, 2021, under a resettlement program initiated by the previous administration, eventually settling in the Bellingham area of Washington state.
Initial vetting, both during his early CIA collaboration and upon entry to America, reportedly showed no terror links, yet questions linger about whether the process was thorough enough for civilian life here.
As President Donald Trump described it, this was “a monstrous ambush-style attack just steps away from the White House,” a tragedy that underscores the risks of hasty resettlement policies.
Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, didn’t mince words on the vetting debacle, stating, “It is true that the terrorist who conducted the attack in D.C. was ‘vetted’ by the intelligence community.”
He added, “However, he was only vetted to serve as a soldier to fight against the Taliban, AQ, & ISIS IN Afghanistan, he was NOT vetted for his suitability to come to America and live among us as a neighbor.” Let’s be clear: using battlefield standards for suburban integration isn’t just sloppy -- it’s a reckless gamble with American lives.
Lakanwal, granted humanitarian parole upon arrival and later asylum under the current administration, also had a Special Immigrant Visa application in the works, raising eyebrows about how many layers of review failed to catch red flags.
Years after resettling, Lakanwal allegedly drove thousands of miles from the West Coast to Washington, D.C., to carry out the attack that claimed the life of 20-year-old Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and left 24-year-old U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe clinging to life.
Now facing first-degree murder charges as announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Lakanwal has pleaded not guilty to initial assault charges and is reportedly stonewalling law enforcement, leaving motives murky and families shattered.
The broader picture here isn’t just one man’s actions -- it’s the staggering 38,800 NSU fighters and kin airlifted under expanded deals during the 2021 evacuation, a logistical nightmare that strained timelines and, as we now see, possibly compromised safety. While Zero Units played a vital role in securing American interests abroad, the decision to fast-track their resettlement without rigorous civilian vetting feels like a policy crafted in panic, not prudence.