Afghan Accused of Plotting Terror Attack Worked as CIA Guard

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The Afghan man accused of plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day in the U.S. has been identified as a former security guard for the CIA in Afghanistan, according to officials. The man, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was arrested in Oklahoma and is facing charges for conspiring to kill Americans with an assault rifle on behalf of ISIS. The investigation has yet to determine whether Tawhedi's radicalization occurred before or after his arrival in the U.S. in 2021, following the turbulent American withdrawal from Afghanistan.

 

Tawhedi's arrest has stirred political tensions, particularly due to his employment history with the CIA. Two sources confirmed to NBC News that Tawhedi had worked as a security guard for the CIA in Afghanistan. Senior administration officials and law enforcement continue to investigate whether his radicalization took place while living in the U.S., though one counterterrorism official suggested that Tawhedi likely became radicalized during his three years in the country.

 

Court documents allege that Tawhedi had contributed to an ISIS charity and accessed online propaganda in March. However, they do not specify when or how he began associating with the terrorist organization. The CIA has declined to comment on the case, while the FBI continues to investigate the timeline of his radicalization.

 

Tawhedi entered the U.S. in September 2021, shortly after the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Officials have stated that every Afghan resettled in the U.S. undergoes a thorough screening and vetting process, regardless of the agency they worked for. According to one senior official, Tawhedi passed two rounds of vetting without any derogatory information surfacing. He was first vetted before entering the U.S. under humanitarian parole in September 2021 and again while applying for a Special Immigrant Visa in Oklahoma City. Although approved for the visa, Tawhedi had not completed the final steps to make his status official.

 

The vetting process for Afghans, particularly those like Tawhedi who worked with U.S. agencies, involves comprehensive checks against intelligence, biometrics, and other data gathered over the two-decade-long war. However, concerns about the adequacy of this vetting process have been raised. A report by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) inspector general indicated that the agency lacked critical data when screening Afghan refugees during the mass evacuation at the war’s end.

 

Officials familiar with Tawhedi’s work in Afghanistan emphasize that he had limited interaction with Americans and was neither a CIA informant nor a member of the U.S.-trained paramilitary units known as the "Zero Units." Many members of these units were evacuated to the U.S. after undergoing intense scrutiny.

 

Court documents reveal that Tawhedi had planned to carry out the attack on November 5, targeting large gatherings on Election Day. The FBI apprehended him after he and a juvenile co-conspirator attempted to purchase assault rifles and ammunition from undercover FBI agents posing as business partners. Authorities say Tawhedi confirmed his plan during an interview after his arrest, expressing his intent to die as a martyr.

 

The juvenile co-conspirator, described as an Afghan citizen with legal permanent resident status, also passed the U.S. vetting process. This individual entered the U.S. in 2018, during the Trump administration, highlighting that the potential security gaps in the screening of Afghan refugees may have persisted across different administrations.

 

The arrest has drawn political attention, particularly from conservatives. Donald Trump Jr. accused the Biden administration of importing a terrorist into the country, blaming the administration's refugee resettlement program. Oklahoma's Republican Attorney General echoed these sentiments, calling for transparency about how Tawhedi was able to enter the U.S. and allegedly plot such an attack.

 

The case remains under investigation, with officials working to understand the full scope of Tawhedi's involvement with ISIS and the timeline of his radicalization.

 

Related Article:

Afghan Immigrant Charged with ISIS-Inspired Election Day Terror Plot in the US

https://aseannow.com/topic/1340231-afghan-immigrant-charged-with-isis-inspired-election-day-terror-plot-in-the-us/

 

Based on a report from NBC News 2024-10-14