Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan suspect in the fatal shooting of National Guard members in Washington, DC, had previously worked with the CIA, according to US officials. The suspect, who entered the US under a special program for evacuating vulnerable Afghans after the Taliban takeover, was identified as having served as a member of a partner force in Kandahar during the US occupation. CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that Lakanwal had prior connections in Afghanistan with partner forces, which are now under investigation.
The incident has raised questions about the vetting process for individuals entering the US under such programs, with Ratcliffe criticizing the circumstances under which the suspect was allowed to remain in the country. FBI Director Kash Patel also confirmed that Lakanwal had a relationship in Afghanistan with partner forces, adding that his prior connections are under investigation. The BBC’s Afghan Service cited a former military commander who served alongside Lakanwal, saying he worked as a GPS tracker specialist in a unit known as Scorpion Forces, which operated under the CIA and later under Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security. Lakanwal also reportedly helped guard American troops at Kabul airport during the final weeks of the withdrawal.
The ex-commander told the BBC that Lakanwal moved from Kandahar to Kabul five days before the Taliban entered the capital in August 2021 and was airlifted to the US six days later. The attack on two West Virginia National Guard members resulted in the death of US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and left US Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe in critical condition. The tragedy has intensified debates over the long-term security risks of allowing former allies and collaborators of the US military to reside in the country, with some political figures criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of the evacuation process.