An afghan man accused of attacking members of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., underwent more than a decade of security reviews prior to the incident, raising questions about the vetting process for Afghan evacuees resettled in the United States. The incident, which left two National Guard members injured, has prompted renewed scrutiny of background checks conducted on individuals admitted to the country following the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.Concerns about the thoroughness of these investigations surfaced after officials revealed that new probes were initiated on dozens of Afghans admitted to the U.S.,with some subsequently deported,according to CNN. The case underscores the complexities of balancing national security with humanitarian efforts to assist those fleeing conflict, and fuels debate over the adequacy of screening procedures for individuals arriving from high-risk regions.
While authorities re-examined the security protocols, some argue the attack shouldn’t be linked to failures in the vetting process. Shawn VanDiver, president of the nonprofit AfghanEvac, which assisted in resettling Afghans after the 2021 withdrawal, stated, “This is a single man who, as the president said, ‘went crazy’ and committed an unhinged act that is not at all representative of the Afghan community.”
The incident involved a shooting near the U.S. Capitol Building. The suspect,whose identity has not been widely released,allegedly fired upon the National guard members. Investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the suspect’s background and motivations.
