Washington — A former Trump‑era intelligence chief told reporters Friday that an Afghan suspect who fatally shot and wounded two National Guard troops had entered the United States in 2021 after being denied a proper background check.
Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, posted on X that the Biden administration is to blame for the failure to screen Rahmanullah Lakanwal, whose attack killed Guardswoman Sarah Beckstrom.
He wrote:
> “During Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, his administration negligently used the vetting standard described above as the standard for being brought directly into the U.S., foregoing previous vetting standards applied to Special Immigrant Visas and any common sense vetting or concern for Americans,”
Kent also added:
> “As a result, over 85k Afghans—including individuals with backgrounds similar to this shooter— were rapidly admitted into our country without the rigorous vetting that has protected us in the past.”
The NCTC director noted that more than two million people from Muslim‑majority nations and regions crossed U.S. borders recently, often with minimal scrutiny amid record crossings.
“This is a deadly combination,” Kent concluded.
He further explained that the suspect was only vetted to serve as a soldier in Afghanistan and was never assessed for suitability to live in the U.S., integrate into communities, or become an American citizen.
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