- Accused shooter arrived after U.S. withdrawal.
- One of 76,000 Afghans resettled in U.S.
- Incident involved two National Guard members.
The program, known as Operation Allies Welcome, was established following the 2021 decision to leave Afghanistan after 20 years of American engagement and billions of dollars in aid.
Democratic President Joe Biden, who oversaw the pullout begun by his predecessor, Republican President Donald Trump, stated that the United States owed it to interpreters and translators, fighters and drivers, and those opposed to the Taliban to provide them with a safe haven outside of Afghanistan.
Others, including Trump and many Republicans, said that the refugees were not properly vetted during a resettlement process that was as chaotic and badly managed as leaving the country to the Taliban.
"This individual — and so many others — should have never been allowed to come here. Our citizens and servicemembers deserve far better than to endure the ongoing fallout from the Biden Administration's catastrophic failures,"
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said.
The suspected shooter, identified by law enforcement officials as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, worked for the CIA
"as a member of a partner force in Kandahar,"
Ratcliffe said in a statement Thursday. It did not clarify what Lakanwal accomplished for the American intelligence agency.
The Kandahar region in southern Afghanistan was the Taliban heartland, and there was severe fighting between Taliban and NATO forces after the US-led invasion in 2001 in response to the al-Qaida attacks on 9/11. During the conflict, the CIA relied on Afghan staff for translation, administration, and front-line fighting alongside its own paramilitary officers.
Little is known about Lakanwal's four years in the United States, including why he drove across the nation from his home in Bellingham, Washington.
Trump also used his message to target Somali refugees who have settled in Minnesota, claiming they are "ripping apart that once-great state."
This administration's goal is to deport illegal immigrants while also closing the country to the majority of refugees. Trump stated that he intends to remove anyone
"who does not belong here or does not add benefit to our country."
Mohammad Saboor, a father of seven children, was one of the Afghans who made it to the United States. He had worked as an electrician and air conditioning technician for foreign and US forces for 17 years.
What vetting process brought Afghans to the US after the withdrawal?
Afghans were primarily brought to the US via Operation Abettors Drink, launched in August 2021post-Taliban preemption, resettling 200,000 expatriates( estimates vary by program phase) on philanthropic parole for two times, transitioning to shelter or Special Emigrant Visas (SIVs). About 40 good for SIVs due to work with US forces; others entered via expedited parole amid chaotic Kabul evacuation to Doha and Europe.
Expatriates passedmulti-layered biometric( fingerprints, prints) and biographic wireworks by
400 labor force from DHS, intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism agencies against watchlists before the US trip.
Multiple rounds passed pre-departure from Afghanistan/ conveyance countries, upon US appearance at military bases( e.g., Fort Bliss), also community release with follow- up processing. SIV aspirants like the suspect entered prioritized checks due to US confederations (e.g., CIA in Kandahar).