THE gunman who opened fire on two National Guardsmen in an “act of terror” near the White House on the eve of Thanksgiving is a CIA-trained Afghan refugee who worked with the US military.
Suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was identified as the shooter who critically injured two soldiers after the attack in downtown Washington DC on Wednesday afternoon.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said that Lakanwal had come to the United States in September 2021 – after the American military withdrawal from Afghanistan – through a Biden-era immigration program for Afghans who had worked with the US government.
Ratcliffe said that his involvement was “as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation.”
The CIA director slammed the former administration’s “disastrous” actions during the withdrawal, which allowed unvetted foreigners to enter the US on temporary visas.
He added, “The Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the US government, including the CIA.
“The individual – and so many others – should have never been allowed to come here.”
President Donald Trump had earlier framed the shooting as an “act of terror” and said the attack “underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation.”
He vowed to redouble his mass deportation efforts.
Former President Joe Biden’s operation sought to resettle vulnerable Afghans, including those who assisted the US during the war.
It’s believed Lakanwal was settled in the Washington state town of Bellingham.
A close relative said Lakanwal worked alongside US Special Forces while serving in the Afghan Army for ten years.
The relative said Lakanwal has a wife and five sons, and that he was even injured while supporting US soldiers.
Lakanwal was allegedly lying in wait before he rounded the corner near the Farragut West Metro Station in Northwest DC around 2:15 pm.
He then opened fire, striking a female guard, identified as Sarah Beckstrom, in the chest before shooting her in the head, according to investigators.
The Afghan allegedly fired at and struck the second guard, Andrew Wolfe, until a third guard stationed nearby rushed to the area and took him down.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency overseeing immigration in the United States, said that it had stopped processing immigration applications from Afghanistan.
The pause will affect Afghans seeking to remain in the US through immigration avenues like asylum and permanent residency, or those trying to enter the country.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15559626/rahmanullah-lakanwal-dc-shooting-suspect-cia-afghanistan/
