On Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” the case of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., which resulted in one fatality, sparked a serious discussion about the chaotic 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent vetting of migrants. Hosts Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade, and Ainsley Earhardt highlighted the shocking background of the alleged shooter, also referred to by variations such as Zakinwall and Lockenwal in the broadcast.
Lakanwal, born and raised in Afghanistan’s Kandahar region—a hotbed of fierce fighting—served in the elite intelligence force known as Unit Zero (specifically, NDS03), Afghanistan’s equivalent of the CIA. This unit was recruited and trained by the CIA to fight the Taliban, operating outside the standard U.S. and Afghan command structure. Unit Zero gained notoriety for its brutal methods, often earning the moniker “death squad.”
Despite this background, Lakanwal’s vetting process for evacuation reportedly included biometric screening, CIA background checks against an interagency watch list for terrorist links, and in-person interviews. However, the hosts and their expert guest underscored the profound criticism directed at the overall vetting process for the hundreds of thousands of Afghans evacuated during the hasty withdrawal under the Biden administration. Critics point to the U.S. intelligence community’s lack of preparation, which led to significant difficulties in identity verification due to customs like using only first names, a lack of birth dates, missing identification documents, and the sheer rush to board planes to escape violence.
Former FBI supervisory special agent Laura Burns, now head of the terrorism and extremism program at George Washington University, provided deeply unsettling insights into Lakanwal’s path to the U.S. Burns outlined critical, unresolved questions: Was he radicalized before migrating? Did he arrive with the intent to commit terrorism when the opportunity arose? Or did he initially come with good intentions but then became disaffected, failed to assimilate, and self-radicalized, ultimately leading to a random attack?
Burns emphasized that the FBI, under Director Kash Patel, is actively investigating the incident as an act of terrorism. She asserted that the facts concerning the suspect’s radicalization will gradually emerge as the investigation progresses. The hosts also quoted the FBI Director on Lakanwal’s relationship with partner forces in Afghanistan, with Patel stressing that the suspect was in the United States because of the “disastrous” withdrawal and a failed vetting system. This failure, the hosts noted, reportedly led to the decision to stop accepting people with similar backgrounds.
Burns concurred that the initial vetting process was complex and chaotic, stating that U.S. intelligence failures to predict the Taliban’s rapid takeover resulted in inadequate evacuation preparations. She voiced support for President Donald Trump’s call for re-vetting all migrants from Afghanistan to safeguard national security. While acknowledging that many Afghans have made profound sacrifices for the U.S., Burns stressed that there remain individuals who may not have been thoroughly vetted and could harbor malicious intent, posing an ongoing security risk.