The Afghan man accused of taking pictures two Nationwide Guard members in DC shares a detailed army connection to a countryman who was busted a day earlier in Texas and accused of constructing bomb threats, The Publish has realized.
The 2 arrests introduced a sudden nationwide focus to lapses in vetting and monitoring of migrants from Afghanistan – together with many who assisted American forces within the conflict there – following the chaotic US troop withdrawal underneath the Biden Administration.
In a regarding tie, each males served on the identical counterterrorism base in Kandahar through the Afghan conflict, sources stated.
Senior Trump administration members disclosed particulars about Rahmanullah Lakanwal instantly after he allegedly shot two Nationwide Guard members in DC final Wednesday, killing West Virginia Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom. CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed he had labored to assist the US at an Afghan Military particular operations base.
But the charging doc for a second Afghan man, Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, 30, who’s accused of constructing terroristic threats throughout a Nov. 23 name, stated nothing about what he did in Afghanistan or how he made it to the US.
Alokozay labored at the exact same base, serving as a safety guard at Strike Drive 03. Each males overlapped throughout their time there, though they’d completely different roles, a senior former Afghan army official informed The Publish.
It was not instantly recognized if they’d met or interacted whereas stationed on the base.
“Alokozay was on this unit for six years. He was guarding the towers inside the bottom,” stated Basic Haibatullah Alizai, the final chief of workers for the Afghan Military earlier than the autumn of Kabul.
The power, arrange within the former compound of one-eyed Taliban chief Mullah Omar, housed about 1,900 troopers and was house to the QSF – the Kandahar Strike Drive of particular operators.
Alizai, who himself used to command Afghan particular forces, spoke to sources together with Alokozay’s former commander following his arrest. He stated he was capable of acquire details about Alokozay’s service, plus further particulars about his background and household.
“They had been saying that he was a well mannered individual. And this again goes again to the Afghan Nationwide Police,” one other authorities establishment he served for years. Each positions may have supplied targets of alternative if he had needed to hold out an assault – suggesting he could have been radicalized after migrating to the US across the identical time as Lakanwal, Alizai stated.
“He was within the conflict for nearly 20 years and solely six years he was with QSF, and we have to interrogate and examine extra about this man – like how he turned radical,” he stated.
“That is the man that I imagine wants extra investigation, much more than Lakanwal,” he added.
Federal authorities charged Alokozay with threatening two different Afghan males on a bunch chat that bought posted on TikTok and different platforms. He allegedly threatened to construct a bomb to hold out a suicide assault to take them out together with “infidels,” based on the federal prices unsealed Tuesday.
“Alozokay acknowledged the Taliban had been pricey to him and that he got here to the US to kill these on the decision. He additionally claimed he needed to conduct a suicide assault on People,” based on the federal grievance.
“He claimed he would construct a bomb in his car and talked a couple of specific yellow cooking oil container favored by the Taliban in constructing improvised explosive gadgets (IEDs) in Afghanistan,” based on the Justice Division.
An informant who seen the videotape informed The Publish Alokozay threatened to hold out “terrorist” threats, and “was repeatedly issuing violent threats.” The informant flagged the video menace to police in Fort Value and to the FBI, he claimed.
In line with a translation of the video chat obtained by The Publish, Alokozay boasted to the group a couple of suicide assault. “Then you’ll suicide the infidels?” the one of many males requested him. “I’ll suicide on you, in your infidels, anybody who disagrees … I’ll suicide bomb on on him.”
After group members repeatedly requested him how and when he would perform the assault, he stated he would make the bomb at his house or his automotive. DOJ says he referenced a particular kind of bomb utilizing a yellow cooking oil container. “I’ll make the yellow barrel right here, will do suicide on you, on you’re infidels, there isn’t any drawback, I’m Afghan, I’m Muslim … there isn’t any God besides the God.”
Observe the most recent on the Nationwide Guard taking pictures in Washington, DC:
On Dec. 4, the feds introduced the arrest of a 3rd Afghan man, Jaan Shah Safi, accused of getting supplied assist to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan (ISIS-Ok), a bunch that’s combating the Taliban and that claimed duty for the August 2021 assault at Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport through the chaotic US withdrawal.
“This incident occurred proper right here in our personal group,” stated Rep. Ben Cline, who represents the district the place ICE brokers carried out the arrest. He stated it “underscores the real-world penalties of the Biden Administration’s failure to correctly vet the practically 190,000 Afghan nationals launched into the US underneath Operation Allies Welcome.”
All three males got here into the nation in 2021 underneath the operation.
“We now have three Afghan nationals who got here right here after the failed Biden withdrawal who had been arrested for violent or extremist exercise inside weeks,” stated Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ). “There’s a clear duty to analyze whether or not these people shared any connections and to take each step to forestall one other menace from slipping by means of the cracks,” he added.
The Publish reached out to the Division of Homeland Safety, the Pentagon, and the CIA in search of affirmation on any previous authorities work or connections of the 2 arrested Afghans.
Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, accused the administration of twisting data within the wake of the Guard taking pictures. “It looks like they’re attempting to cherry decide these tales that they will take out of context and manufacture outrage about Afghans,” he stated.
The pressing have to establish Afghans who could have change into radicalized may hurt different Afghans who’re attempting to establish countrymen who could veer into extremism, Alizai warned.
“All of those threats are tied to us, and everyone is simply attempting to outlive on this difficult and troublesome state of affairs,” he stated.
