The perpetrator of the bloody attack against National Guard members next to the White House was a US collaborator.
The attack against two members of the West Virginia National Guard just a few blocks from the White House is turning into a case with deep political and operational ramifications. The main suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who arrived in the US under the program to host collaborators of American forces after the fall of Kabul, had connections with US security services—even the CIA, as Fox News Digital reveals.
From the Kabul evacuation to Washington
Lakanwal entered the US in September 2021, a month after the chaotic withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan under the Biden administration. He was transferred to the country through Operation Allies Welcome, a program aimed at rescuing and hosting Afghan collaborators of the American forces and security services.
According to intelligence sources, Lakanwal was a "partner force" member in the Kandahar region, collaborating with various US government entities, including the CIA. This collaboration, the same sources report, was one of the reasons he was deemed suitable for relocation to the US.
The attack and initial assessments
The two National Guardsmen were targeted and shot on Wednesday evening, November 26, 2025, in a central location in the US capital. Reports indicate that one soldier was hit at close range, in an ambush that officials described as "evil" and "in cold blood." The two injured men remain in critical condition.
The investigation is under the full supervision of the FBI, which, according to senior security sources, is seriously examining the possibility of international terrorism. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed that it was a "targeted attack," adding that the perpetrator appeared to have chosen the two Guardsmen exclusively. The suspect was arrested shortly afterward.
Fierce political reaction
CIA Director John Ratcliffe, in a particularly sharp statement to Fox News Digital, blamed the Biden administration. "This individual—and so many others—should never have been allowed to come here," he said. "Our citizens and our soldiers deserve better than to live with the consequences of the Biden administration's catastrophic failures." Ratcliffe cited Lakanwal's previous relationship with the US services, which, according to him, the administration used as an argument in favor of his entry into the US.
Dramatic Trump address to the nation
In an extraordinary evening address, President Donald Trump called the attack "barbaric," an "act of ambush," and an "act of evil, hatred, and terror." Trump stressed that the attack constitutes a "crime against the nation and against humanity," demanding the exemplary punishment of the perpetrator. "As President of the United States, I am determined to ensure that the beast who committed this atrocity pays the heaviest possible price," he said.
In closing, he spoke of prayers and solidarity with the families of the two injured soldiers, while mentioning a "righteous anger" that must be transformed into determination.
The political and operational stakes
The case is expected to trigger intense reactions and discussions in Washington regarding the security vetting of Afghans transferred to the US after the fall of Kabul, the risk assessment in resettlement procedures, the Biden administration's responsibilities concerning the handling of Operation Allies Welcome, and the relationships of US agencies with their former collaborators in war zones.
With the FBI investigation in full swing and the possibility of terrorism being seriously considered, the case may affect both internal security and the public debate ahead of political developments in the US.
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