CIA-Linked Afghan Refugee Charged In Election Day Terror Plot Raises Vetting Alarms
A former Afghan CIA employee charged with plotting a terrorist attack on US Election Day has ignited concerns over the refugee vetting process during the Biden-Harris administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, who entered the US in 2021 under a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), allegedly began planning an ISIS-inspired attack while living in Oklahoma City.
Tawhedi, once employed by the CIA in Afghanistan, reportedly radicalized online after his relocation. He is accused of stockpiling AK-47 rifles and ammunition to execute an attack targeting voters, according to the Justice Department. His plot unraveled when FBI agents, posing as sellers on Facebook Marketplace, sold him firearms.
This case sheds light on serious shortcomings in the vetting of Afghan refugees. Federal sources have criticized the chaotic withdrawal, which allowed more than 70,000 Afghans into the US, some without proper screening. Many evacuees were reportedly paroled into the country, allowing them to leave military bases before background checks were complete.
The Department of Homeland Security acknowledged in a report that they struggled to track SIV applicants, noting many could stay in the country illegally after their parole expired. This oversight has raised security concerns, as Tawhedi is just one example of an evacuee slipping through the cracks.
According to the FBI, Tawhedi’s digital trail contained ISIS propaganda and communications with a juvenile accomplice. He even recorded videos discussing martyrdom with children. His actions highlight the dangers posed by poorly vetted refugees, a situation some federal agents describe as a “disaster” that threatens national security. Tawhedi faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.