Suspect in Shooting of National Guardsmen Linked to CIA

Rahmanullah Rakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan man, is under suspicion for the fatal shooting of two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C. Recently, CIA director John Ratcliffe revealed that Rakanwal was previously involved with the agency as part of a partner force in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

According to Ratcliffe, Rakanwal and others were part of Kandahar’s partner forces, which came to an end shortly after the tumultuous evacuation. Kandahar, a pivotal area in southern Afghanistan, has been a focal point of Taliban activity since 2001, shortly after the September 11 attacks.

Ratcliffe noted that the Biden administration had justified Rakanwal’s arrival in the U.S. back in September 2021 due to his past work with the U.S. government and the CIA. He expressed regret that Rakanwal should not have been allowed entry, saying, “God bless our brave troops.”

A close relative stated that Rakanwal served in the Afghan army alongside U.S. Special Forces for a decade, as reported by NBC News. Currently, authorities indicate that he resides in Washington state, significantly far from the D.C. area.

Metropolitan Police Department Chief of Staff Jeffrey Carroll mentioned that many particulars about the case remain uncertain since Rakanwal is still hospitalized, though his injuries aren’t deemed life-threatening.

Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the situation, asserting that the Department of Homeland Security is certain Rakanwal hails from Afghanistan, which he characterized as “hell on earth.” He added that Rakanwal was flown into the U.S. by the Biden administration during an evacuation flight that sparked considerable controversy.

In light of the shooting incident, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an immediate and indefinite halt to the processing of all immigration applications involving Afghan nationals, pending a review of security and vetting procedures.