Rehmanullah Lakkanwal, 29, the Afghan suspect in the shooting deaths of two members of the National Guard in Washington, US, on Wednesday, has been identified with CIA-backed military units in Afghanistan. The suspect was working for several US government agencies in his home country, including the CIA, in Kandahar province, the stronghold of the Taliban insurgency during two decades of war.
- Understands: Trump administration suspends Afghan immigration after attack on agents; The suspect arrived in the United States as a refugee
- Context: Two National Guard agents shot near the White House; Trump: Shooter ‘will pay a very heavy price’
After the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the subsequent rise of the Taliban regime, the suspect was transferred to the United States as part of a program to remove Afghans who worked with the agency, according to CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
“In September 2021, the Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States because of his prior work with the CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly after the chaotic evacuation,” Ratcliffe said in a statement, adding that “the man should never have been allowed to come here.”
Afghan units trained and supported by the CIA played an important role in the withdrawal of US forces. Although many Afghan military units were disbanded in the face of the Taliban’s takeover, CIA partner units remained operational and helped transport American citizens and Afghans who worked with American forces to Kabul for evacuation.
Attack near the White House
On Wednesday afternoon, two West Virginia National Guard members were shot near the Farragut West subway station in downtown Washington, two blocks from the White House, by a gunman who was also wounded and later arrested. According to the police, Lakhanwal is receiving treatment at the hospital, but his life is not in danger. The FBI is investigating the case as a possible terrorist attack.
Washington Deputy Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll said the attacker “turned a corner” and immediately fired at the guards, video reviewed by investigators showed. In a press conference, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser described the attack as “deliberate.”
According to the American press, at least one of the victims returned fire. Carroll said that other security forces who heard the shooting rushed to the scene and were able to control the suspect after he was shot.
After authorities revealed the suspect’s nationality, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the country’s immigration agency, suspended immigration applications from Afghanistan. The suspension will affect Afghans seeking to remain in the United States through immigration processes such as asylum and permanent residency, or those trying to enter the country.
In a video speech on Wednesday evening, US President Donald Trump said he had ordered the deployment of 500 additional National Guard soldiers to Washington. The president called the shooting an “act of terrorism,” saying it “highlights the greatest national security threat facing our nation” and vowed to redouble mass deportation efforts. Furthermore, Trump said the shooter “will pay a very heavy price.”
Trump squarely blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the incident, claiming that the suspect entered the country under a program that sought to welcome Afghans after the Taliban returned to power.
– We must now re-examine all foreigners who entered our country from Afghanistan – said the President.
The two victims were members of the West Virginia National Guard and were part of the operation ordered by Trump in the American capital. But their names were not revealed.
The FBI and Washington mayor reported that the guards were in “critical condition” and were admitted to two different hospitals in the city. Before that, there was confusion: West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey even posted on social media that the victims had died, but later stated that there was “contradictory information.”
Before the shooting, some officers and members of the National Guard were concerned about the safety of troops deployed by the Trump administration in American cities.
National Guard in Washington
Since summer in the Northern Hemisphere, more than 2,000 National Guard members have been working in Washington. Trump ordered the mobilization in August, justifying the action because of an alleged rise in crime — though statistics do not confirm that claim, and both Washington’s mayor and police have spoken out against sending in troops.
The National Guard patrols residential neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, mans highway checkpoints, and has been tasked with collecting trash and monitoring sporting events.
Last week, a federal judge ordered the process to end, but suspended the decision for 21 days to give the Trump administration time to remove the guards or appeal the ruling.
(With AFP and The New York Times)