An Afghan man residing in Oklahoma who allegedly plotted to conduct a terrorist assault on Election Day on behalf of the Islamic State labored a safety job for the CIA in Afghanistan, Fox Information has discovered.
Authorities consider Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, grew to become radicalized after he arrived within the U.S. Sept. 9, 2021, weeks after the American troops pulled out of Afghanistan, a senior Biden administration official mentioned.
He entered the U.S. on a particular immigrant visa (SIV) and is on parole standing pending adjudication of his immigration proceedings, the Division of Homeland Safety mentioned this week. These information had been disputed by the State Division.
Officers have since clarified that Tawhedi got here to the U.S. through humanitarian parole and later utilized for SIV standing.
AFGHAN MAN IN OKLAHOMA PLOTTED ELECTION DAY TERROR ATTACK IN US ON BEHALF OF ISIS, JUSTICE DEPT SAYS
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi is charged with plotting an Election Day terror assault. (Division of Justice)
Humanitarian parole is a course of by which Tawhedi would have been held in a 3rd nation for screening and vetting after which flown to the U.S.
After shifting to the U.S. in 2021, he utilized for particular immigrant standing, a pathway for a inexperienced card, and was authorised. He hadn’t finalized his standing, which is why the State Division denied a DHS declare made this week that Tawhedi arrived with an SIV.
It was nonetheless unclear when the State Division authorised him for an SIV after DHS authorised him for humanitarian parole in 2021. Tawhedi utilized for SIV standing instantly after arriving within the U.S.
There have been no crimson flags that might have barred him from entry into the U.S., officers mentioned.
DHS OIG FAULTS AFGHAN VETTING, WARNS NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS MAY HAVE ENTERED US
A photograph of Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi and his youngsters from July. (Division of Justice)
“Afghan evacuees who sought to enter the US had been topic to multilayered screening and vetting towards intelligence, legislation enforcement and counterterrorism info. If new info emerges after arrival, acceptable motion is taken,” a DHS spokesperson instructed Fox Information Digital.
Investigators consider Tawhedi was radicalized after arriving within the U.S., much like a number of previous terrorism suspects, together with these concerned within the Pulse nightclub capturing, the 2015 San Bernardino assault and the Halloween 2017 case wherein a person used a truck to homicide eight folks and injure a number of others on a motorbike path in Decrease Manhattan on behalf of ISIS.
Tawhedi was arrested Monday and is charged with conspiring and making an attempt to offer materials assist to ISIS and receiving a gun for use to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism.
In his seized communications, Tawhedi allegedly indicated that his assault was deliberate to focus on giant gatherings of individuals on Election Day, throughout which he and a juvenile had been anticipated to die as martyrs. He was busted after talking with an FBI confidential informant, the Justice Division mentioned.
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The unidentified juvenile suspect, Tawhedi’s brother-in-law, entered the U.S. in March 2018 below a stricter SIV program after he was vetted.
On Thursday, Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas refused to reply questions on Tawhedi amid ongoing considerations in regards to the vetting of these delivered to the U.S.
