The arrest of an Afghan national for plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day has sparked fresh concerns about how refugees were vetted during the Biden-Harris administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal. Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, who once worked for the CIA, entered the US under a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) in 2021, shortly after the fall of Kabul. Authorities say he became radicalized online and began planning an ISIS-inspired massacre targeting American voters.
Tawhedi, who lived in Oklahoma City, allegedly stockpiled weapons and ammunition in preparation for the attack. His plot unraveled when undercover FBI agents sold him the weapons he planned to use. Investigators discovered ISIS propaganda on Tawhedi’s devices and evidence that he had been communicating with a juvenile accomplice.
The case has brought attention to the broader failures in vetting Afghan refugees. According to reports, more than 70,000 Afghans were brought to the US during the withdrawal, but many were not properly screened. Some were allowed to leave military bases without completing the vetting process, raising concerns about potential security risks.
A DHS report from earlier this year found that the department struggled to track Afghan evacuees and failed to ensure that their parole periods were renewed. Critics argue that the Biden-Harris administration’s rushed withdrawal created an environment where dangerous individuals like Tawhedi were able to enter the country unchecked.
Tawhedi now faces charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which could result in up to 20 years in prison.
