Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem revealed that authorities suspect the shooter who opened fire on National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., last week may have been radicalized after his arrival in the United States. The accused gunman, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is alleged to have fired at two National Guard members, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, on Wednesday afternoon.
Lakanwal, an Afghan national, previously worked with the CIA during the U.S. war in Afghanistan. He came to the U.S. following the fall of Afghanistan's government to the Taliban in 2021 and was granted asylum in April of this year. His entry into the country was facilitated by the Biden administration through a program known as Operation Allies Welcome.
Noem expressed concerns about the adequacy of the vetting process, stating, "He was brought into the country by the Biden administration through Operation Allies Welcome. And then, maybe vetted after that, but not done well, based on what the guidelines were put forward by President Biden." She suggested that since arriving in the U.S., Lakanwal might have been radicalized within his home community and state.
When pressed by ABC News' co-anchor Jonathan Karl regarding the vetting conducted by the Trump administration, Noem clarified that the information used for Lakanwal's vetting was collected under the Biden administration. "All the information that was gathered on that vetting process was gathered under the Biden administration," she stated, emphasizing that the responsibility for the vetting process lies with them.
In response to Noem's claims, John Cohen, a former Homeland Security undersecretary for intelligence and an ABC News contributor, asserted that under Operation Allies Welcome, individuals seeking refuge in the U.S. underwent rigorous vetting against both classified and unclassified intelligence. This process included the submission of biographical and biometric data.
While Cohen acknowledged that there were some delays in the vetting process and instances where individuals boarded planes before full vetting was completed, he emphasized that extensive vetting occurred at processing locations. Sam Aronson, a former State Department official, added that individuals spent anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks at third-country processing sites, where comprehensive vetting took place.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen also challenged Noem's assertion that the Biden administration's vetting led to the shooting incident. He stated, "We should always review our vetting, but in this case, there's no evidence that there was something that escaped the vetting." Van Hollen criticized the Trump administration's recent announcement to pause all asylum decisions following the shooting, labeling it as "outrageous and unfair." He cautioned against punishing an entire group of individuals for the actions of one person, describing it as collective punishment.
"These are individuals who worked side by side with America in the fight against the Taliban," Van Hollen emphasized, noting the grave risks they face if sent back to Afghanistan, where they could potentially be targeted by the Taliban.