Minister says shooting in DC by Afghan suspect should not be a reflection on all of Afghanistan

JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AP) An Afghan individual charged in the shooting of two U.S. National Guard members last week had previously received training from American forces. The Afghan Foreign Minister emphasized that the actions of this individual should not be seen as a reflection of the Afghan population as a whole. These were the first public comments on the incident by Afghanistan's Taliban government, made by Amir Khan Muttaqi during a meeting with local elders on Wednesday, as reported by his ministry.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, has been charged with first-degree murder after one of the victims, West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, succumbed to injuries sustained in the shooting on November 26. The second victim, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains critically injured.

Lakanwal, who appeared remotely from a hospital bed, pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and assault during his first court appearance in Washington, D.C. He was also injured in the attack.

In his statement, Muttaqi clarified, This is an isolated incident, and the individual responsible was trained by the Americans. This issue has no connection to the honorable people of Afghanistan.

Following the incident, the U.S. government has implemented significant changes to its immigration policies, including halting asylum applications and increasing vetting requirements for certain immigrants.

Previously, Lakanwal had been part of Afghanistan's Zero Units, specialized military groups that were supported by the CIA. He entered the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a program designed to evacuate and resettle Afghan nationals after the Taliban took control during the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces. Many evacuees had worked with U.S. military and diplomatic teams.

Muttaqi remarked, For the past 20 years, we have been saying that those involved in the Zero Units were responsible for numerous incidents in Afghanistan, and their actions also resulted in the deaths of Afghan citizens. He added, This individual was personally trained by U.S. forces and became their official employee. The minister criticized the evacuation process, describing it as illegal and in violation of international standards.

Author: Connor Blake