How Rahmanullah Lakanwal made it from Afghanistan to US before White House shooting — Inside Operation Allies Welcome

A federal programme set up during President Joe Biden’s term is under lens again after officials confirmed that Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the suspect accused of shooting and critically injuring two National Guard soldiers near the White House, entered US through it.

The initiative was known as Operation Allies Welcome and was designed to help Afghans fleeing Taliban retaliation after the fall of Kabul in August 2021. A series of reports suggest the system was riddled with errors that may have allowed individuals to enter with little oversight, according to the New York Post.

How Lakanwal came to US

29-year-old Lakanwal lived in Washington state and arrived in the country through Operation Allies Welcome. A Trump administration official said he applied for asylum in December last year and received approval in April. He had no known criminal history. His background came into light because an ID badge going viral online appeared to show links to the Afghan “Zero Units,” which were elite forces trained and equipped by the CIA.

The badge referenced the “Kandahar Strike Force,” known as the 03 Unit, and “Firebase Gecko,” a base once used by US intelligence in Kandahar. CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that the suspect had previously worked “with the US Government, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar.”

A former senior Afghan general told CBS News the 03 Unit was “the most active and professional forces, trained and equipped by the CIA,” and operated entirely under CIA command. These units, while trusted by US agencies, were also feared in Afghanistan for alleged extrajudicial killings during night raids.

Operation Allies Welcome’s and its flaws

A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General report released last year revealed eye-catching problems in the programme. The review found a lot of data errors in the systems used to document Afghans arriving in the US. Some individuals were issued multiple identification numbers or had their names spelled incorrectly. The report said that such glitches made it difficult to track “biographic or criminal history data.”

It stated, “[Immigration] personnel must have accurate information on individuals to ensure the integrity of the adjudication and enforcement processes.” It added that data errors could hinder officials' ability to identify individuals “quickly and accurately.”

Once arrivals were inside the country, the report said there was no clear process to monitor when their parole expired. “We found DHS does not have a process to monitor parole expiration for individual OAW parolees and has not designated a component to monitor their parole expiration,” the report said. Officials from CBP, USCIS and ICE all said they believed the responsibility belonged to someone else.

Why was the program created?

Operation Allies Welcome was created to resettle Afghans who had assisted the US during the war and were at risk under Taliban rule. The initiative allowed roughly 90,000 Afghans to become eligible for Special Immigration Visas and provided help with processing and resettlement. Many members of the CIA-linked Zero Units were placed high on evacuation priority lists because they were considered prime targets for Taliban revenge.

After the DC shooting

In the wake of the attack, President Trump said his administration would “re-examine” all Afghans who entered the country during Biden’s presidency. The White House has not yet commented on the report’s findings.

The Taliban government has also not responded to requests for comment regarding Lakanwal’s arrest.

Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the two injured soldiers underwent surgery.