Before settling in a quiet part of Washington state, Rahmanullah Lakanwal served in a clandestine Afghan unit directed by the CIA that hunted Taliban commanders on high-risk missions. Members of those “Zero Units,” also called National Strike Units, were described by former U.S. colleagues as highly capable fighters who “took malignant actors off the battlefield and saved American lives,” said Andrew Sullivan, a former Army officer who now leads No One Left Behind, a group that helps resettle Afghans who assisted U.S. forces.
The Zero Units were among the most thoroughly vetted Afghans who worked with American forces. CIA officers praised their bravery, skill and loyalty, and the agency prioritized evacuating them when Kabul fell in 2021 because the Taliban viewed them as prime targets. Still, thousands who arrived in the United States have lived in legal limbo without work authorization, refugee advocates say, leaving many struggling to support their families. Former CIA and military colleagues pressed both administrations and Congress to resolve their status, warning that stalled action had driven some veterans into despair.
Lakanwal, 29, is accused of driving across the country and opening fire near the White House last week, killing National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically wounding Andrew Wolfe, 24. The suspect, who was shot and injured during the attack, faces first-degree murder and other charges, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said. Authorities have not released a motive. A relative said the family could not understand why a man who fought alongside Americans might carry out such an attack. “I need your help to know why this happened,” the relative told NBC News.
In response to the shooting, President Donald Trump ordered a full review of Afghans admitted to the United States and temporarily halted processing immigration requests from Afghans seeking resettlement. Some administration officials alleged without evidence that the Biden administration failed to vet Lakanwal. But former intelligence and military officials noted that as a Zero Unit member he would have undergone extensive vetting before joining and regular checks while serving. The CIA managed evacuations of Lakanwal and nearly 10,000 force members as U.S. forces withdrew in 2021, and refugees were vetted again when they applied for asylum. Lakanwal’s asylum was granted in April, during the Trump administration, multiple officials said.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson blamed the prior administration’s policies, calling Lakanwal “an animal” who would not have been in the U.S. if not for what she called dangerous policies under President Biden. Former intelligence officers and veterans say, however, that no amount of vetting can guarantee an individual will never commit violence. “Vetting can help mitigate threats, but it doesn’t eliminate threats,” said Geeta Bakshi, a former CIA officer who now leads FAMIL, a nonprofit that assists Zero Unit members. She said investigators will need to determine the motive and that the FBI is conducting a thorough probe.
Appeals for help have been ongoing. Zero Unit veterans engaged in intense combat, saw comrades killed and some suffered severe wounds. Like U.S. special operations veterans, many grapple with wartime trauma, and their uncertain legal status in the U.S. has exacerbated mental health problems, former officials and veterans say. “If you bring people here and you don’t let them feel like there is any hope, you’re leaving them in a very troubling situation,” said a spokesperson for the 1208 Foundation, which assists Afghans who worked with U.S. Special Forces. He argued the veterans could be valuable in security roles if their resettlement were handled properly.
Lakanwal, who grew up in Khost province, lived in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children, a relative said. This past summer he worked for Amazon Flex, a delivery service that contracts drivers to use their own vehicles, though an Amazon spokesperson said he had not been active recently. Two years ago, Mohammad Shah, a former Zero Units commander, warned lawmakers that his former troops faced an “urgent crisis” and urged Congress to resolve their legal status. Shah said members of his community had attempted suicide due to feelings of helplessness.
Human rights groups have reported allegations of abuse by the Zero Units. Human Rights Watch documented alleged abusive night raids and cited 14 incidents of serious abuses from 2017 to 2019, including possible extrajudicial killings tied to flawed intelligence. Former members of the strike force and ex-CIA officers dispute those findings, saying the units were trained in the laws of armed conflict and that operations were reviewed ahead of time.
Earlier this month, Zero Units veterans were honored at a Washington event organized by FAMIL that included speeches by Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin and former CIA and military officers. “The Zero Units were the cream of the crop. They were the top of the top 1%,” Mullin said in a video posted by the group.
Legislative efforts have attempted to end the legal uncertainty. The proposed bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act would have resolved status for Zero Units veterans and other Afghans who worked for the U.S. government, while also calling for additional security vetting for those seeking permanent status. Despite backing from military veterans in Congress, the bill failed to pass after several attempts. Tens of thousands of Afghans who worked for the U.S. government still face uncertainty, many applying for asylum while awaiting special immigrant visas. Advocates say returning to Afghanistan is not an option for these veterans because the Taliban are likely to hunt those who assisted Americans.
As of July, roughly 3,000 Zero Unit members remained without work permits or secure legal status, advocates said. Since the U.S. troop withdrawal, both presidents who negotiated or executed the exit have faced criticism. Trump, who agreed to the troop pullout deal and has repeatedly criticized the withdrawal’s handling, recently said some Afghans deserve legal status in the United States: “We know the good ones, and we know the ones that maybe aren’t so good. We’re going to take care of those people, the ones that did a job [for us], the ones that were told certain things.”
Dan De Luce is a reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit.
Rich Schapiro is a reporter with the NBC News national security unit.