US National Guard Shooting: CIA Ties of Suspect Raise Terrorism Concerns
A suspect in a shooting that left two US national guard members critically injured has ties to the CIA, the agency confirmed on Wednesday. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, had worked with CIA-backed military units in Afghanistan during the US war in the country, according to sources.
Lakanwal came to the US under an Operation Allies Welcome program, which gave Afghan nationals who had worked for the US government entry visas. He was granted asylum this year and had been living in Washington DC before the shooting on Wednesday.
The CIA director, John Ratcliffe, confirmed Lakanwal's connection to the agency, stating he had worked as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly after the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan. The two victims, Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, both West Virginia national guard members, were attacked at a bus stop by Lakanwal.
The incident has raised concerns about terrorism, with FBI director Kash Patel calling it an "act of terrorism". An investigation is underway, which will include searching the suspect's home in Washington DC and San Diego, California. Other national guard members had engaged and neutralized the suspect after the attack.
Prosecutor Jeanine Pirro said Lakanwal had driven across the US with a plan to conduct a "brazen and targeted" assault. The suspect is under arrest and being treated at a hospital. Charges against Lakanwal include three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
President Donald Trump accused the Biden administration of failing to properly vet migrants from Afghanistan, and ordered 500 additional national guard troops to Washington DC. He has also signalled a broad review of asylum and green card applications.
A suspect in a shooting that left two US national guard members critically injured has ties to the CIA, the agency confirmed on Wednesday. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, had worked with CIA-backed military units in Afghanistan during the US war in the country, according to sources.
Lakanwal came to the US under an Operation Allies Welcome program, which gave Afghan nationals who had worked for the US government entry visas. He was granted asylum this year and had been living in Washington DC before the shooting on Wednesday.
The CIA director, John Ratcliffe, confirmed Lakanwal's connection to the agency, stating he had worked as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly after the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan. The two victims, Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, both West Virginia national guard members, were attacked at a bus stop by Lakanwal.
The incident has raised concerns about terrorism, with FBI director Kash Patel calling it an "act of terrorism". An investigation is underway, which will include searching the suspect's home in Washington DC and San Diego, California. Other national guard members had engaged and neutralized the suspect after the attack.
Prosecutor Jeanine Pirro said Lakanwal had driven across the US with a plan to conduct a "brazen and targeted" assault. The suspect is under arrest and being treated at a hospital. Charges against Lakanwal include three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
President Donald Trump accused the Biden administration of failing to properly vet migrants from Afghanistan, and ordered 500 additional national guard troops to Washington DC. He has also signalled a broad review of asylum and green card applications.
But then he comes to the US under an asylum program, and suddenly we're questioning whether our refugee policies are doing more harm than good. It's like, we're giving people a chance to escape their war-torn countries, but then we can't guarantee that they won't become violent in their new lives? 
And what does it say about our priorities as a nation when we're more concerned with vetting migrants than finding ways to prevent terrorist attacks from happening within our own borders? I mean, shouldn't we be focusing on preventing radicalization and providing support for people who need help, rather than just reacting to individual incidents? 
just thinking about this guy Lakanwal is like what even is going on... working with CIA-backed units in Afghanistan and then coming to the US under some special program 
I mean, what were they thinking? 
the government's gotta do better with vetting these people... or should we say, "welcome to America" 
i mean what's going on with these shooters in the US? first it was Orlando and now this... two innocent people got hurt 
that's like, super concerning 
my thoughts are with Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe and their families 
. And now, him driving across the US with a plan to conduct an assault? That's like, totally terrifying 
. I'm all for keeping our country safe, but we gotta make sure we're not jumping to conclusions here 
. My heart goes out to the two victims, Sarah and Andrew - they were just doing their job, serving their country, and then get attacked like this 
The fact that he was able to get a visa under Operation Allies Welcome, which is supposed to help Afghan nationals who've worked with the US government, is concerning. 
This just doesn't feel right. 