Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan suspect in the shooting of National Guard members in Washington, DC, had previously worked with the CIA during the US occupation of Afghanistan. Officials disclosed that Lakan entered the US under a special program set up to aid vulnerable Afghans following the Taliban’s capture of the country in 2021. This program, designed to assist those who had worked with Western troops, was intended to provide a safe haven for individuals who had contributed to US military efforts. However, the tragic shooting incident has reignited debates over the effectiveness and oversight of such programs.
Lakan was allegedly responsible for the fatal shooting of two US National Guard members, US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and US Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, while they were conducting a routine patrol. The shooting occurred on Wednesday, and Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries the following day, while Wolfe remains in critical condition. The incident has drawn immediate attention from both federal agencies, including the FBI and the CIA, who are investigating Lakan’s background and his potential connections to extremist groups or networks.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe announced that Lakan had been admitted into the US in September 2021 due to his prior work with the CIA and other US government agencies in Kandahar. Ratcliffe echoed the sentiments of former President Donald Trump, who had criticized the Biden administration for the ‘disastrous’ withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, suggesting that the decision to allow Lakan into the country was a misstep. The FBI Director, Kash Patel, confirmed that Lakan had a relationship with partner forces in Afghanistan and that his prior connections are under investigation for any potential ties to militant organizations.
The BBC’s Afghan Service cited a former military commander who served alongside Lakan, indicating that 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. According to the commander, Lakan was involved in guarding American troops at Kabul airport during the final days of the US withdrawal. He also 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. This timeline has raised questions about the security screening and vetting process for individuals entering the United States under such programs.
The shooting incident has further intensified discussions about the potential risks associated with allowing former Afghan allies into the country, particularly those who may have had access to sensitive military information or resources. Critics argue that the US failed to conduct thorough background checks on individuals entering the country, while supporters of the program emphasize the humanitarian aspect of aiding those who had supported US troops. The case of Lakan serves as a stark reminder of the complexities and challenges involved in managing such post-conflict transitions.