*The Afghan who served in a U.S.-backed Zero Unit struggled with apparent mental health issues after migrating to America in 2021.*
The alleged shooter of two National Guard members, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was struggling with mental illness, his ability to support his family, and, according to an Afghan veteran who fought with him, his pleas for help to the CIA went unanswered.
Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, served in a CIA-backed Afghan force unit, known as the “Zero Units,” in Kandahar. He is facing first-degree murder charges after Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died of her injuries following the Wednesday shooting near the Farragut West Metro station in Washington, D.C. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition.
Investigators are still working to establish a motive for the attack. Rolling Stone spoke to a former Afghan unit mate who pointed to financial pressure and ongoing apparent mental illness as a contributing factor. He also seems to have felt abandoned by the United States government.
“He’s very sad [depressed],” said Lakanwal’s Afghan unit mate, who is not a native English speaker. “He’s very worried. This problem, like, he’d say, ‘I am working nine years or 10 years with [the] U.S. government. [They] never answer my phone [call].’”
> The struggles to start over, leave the war behind, and find work were ever present. Lakanwal was fired from his job at a laundromat because he lacked a work authorization card despite being approved for asylum and authorized to work by the Trump administration, according to his former unit mate, who fought alongside him for more than a decade.
>In September, Lakanwal’s nephew requested the Bellingham housing authority approve a move closer to an Afghan community. The handwritten application, reviewed by Rolling Stone, cited Lakanwal’s isolation, lack of English skills, and the need to find employment in a larger community like Seattle. Lakanwal didn’t feel safe in Bellingham after he was assaulted when a man sprayed something into his eyes requiring hospital treatment, according to the application.
> …
> His unit mate said Lakanwal sought help in June from a CIA program designed to aid Zero Unit veterans with immigration issues. Rolling Stone reviewed a screenshot of the group chat in June where Zero Unit veterans shared information with a CIA representative about ongoing issues. Lakanwal posted messages asking for help. His last post went unanswered and was deleted by the chat’s administrator.
This is someone who was failed many times. It doesn’t excuse what he did, but if he had been treated right (or maybe even just with basic decency) it’s almost certain that Sarah Beckstrom would be alive today (she’d also be alive today if she wasn’t used as a prop by the Trump admin).
Ovaltineyum on
This seems the most likely scenario. Afghan guides and translators helped us immensely, at great risk to themselves and families. Some for money, many because they believed we would help the country. And now the Taliban is back in control, it’s pretty much guaranteed that anyone with connections with them is persona non grata at best or already executed at worst.
In no way did those National Guard members deserve to be shot. It’s a genuine tragedy. But i seriously doubt the guy was radicalized so much as broken. I could be wrong.
ItsHammyTime2 on
I have worked with the Afghan community before and helped an Afghan translator get acclimated to America. They all feel forgotten about. They can never return home. They are trapped in a country that still largely doesn’t trust them. Many have degrees in their home countries but can only find grueling minimum wage work. They often work 6-7 days a week and have multiple jobs. We failed these people who gave everything to our country. I don’t condone the shooters actions but as soon as it happened I knew that the whole “he was radicalized in America“ excuse was utter bullshit. These men literally fought the against that. And for Trump to suggest deporting his wife and children is sentencing them to rape, abuse, slavery and most likely death. Shame on our country.
StormOk7544 on
I can empathize with what he was going through since coming to the US. Can’t really keep the empathy up given what he did though. There’s simply no excuse for violence.
Silly-Low6019 on
Yeah right , they got him and his 5 children (a separate post needed to discuss that) and his wife , got him fuckin settled in a liberal state and probably gave him an apartment, food stamps , free medical care.
-Morsmordre- on
Yeah whatever life sucks. Fuck this guy.
RIP_Greedo on
When the black ops Gladio death squad I work for doesn’t cater to my mental health
[deleted] on
[deleted]
TheDwellingHeart on
Welcome to USA. We are all forgotten. Inmean USA totally dropped the Mujahdeen on their ass after the cold war too. History really repeats itself.
Empty promises. Empty words. Have you see who our elected President is?
KazTheMerc on
Here is the critical piece of info from the article –
“Lakanwal posted messages asking for help. His last post went unanswered and was deleted by the chat’s administrator.
*Rolling Stone* called the CIA representative in the text chat, who claimed it was a wrong number.”
There you have it, folks: We had every opportunity to help this guy, and we just…. didn’t. To the point where the dude who didn’t help wouldn’t even admit that the number they were called directly on was the right number.
…I’m sure he did the same thing to the people he was supposed to help…
And now people have died because of it.
THIS.
This is the price we all pay for these MAGA ideals, and Christian Nationalist pipe dreams.
Ill_Source9620 on
The movie The Hunted with Benicio del Toro and Tommy Lee Jones
Manyconnections on
No excuses. Things can be worked out. Dont go around shooting people. Not a hard thing to do.
Sabishooyo_2018 on
Well, he was a contract killer for the CIA and got recruited at the age of 15. Of course he would be fucked. He is a traitor to his people and a liability for US.
PM_ME_UR_RESPECT on
Why would Joe Biden do this?
Independent-Slip568 on
If there’s any doubt about the fundamental amorality of US interventionism abroad, let this put it to rest. Any resemblance to altruistic intentions is purely coincidental and will be opportunistically trumpeted far and wide… but the real-world experiences (like this incident) say otherwise. The basest instincts drive warmongering, not the noblest.
chunkah69 on
I’m sure so do about 20 regimes that took over via coup as well.
Appropriate-Key-7554 on
That’s not surprising, we do that to all foreign allies once we’ve got what we want.
18 Comments
**From Kevin Maurer for Rolling Stone:**
*The Afghan who served in a U.S.-backed Zero Unit struggled with apparent mental health issues after migrating to America in 2021.*
The alleged shooter of two National Guard members, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was struggling with mental illness, his ability to support his family, and, according to an Afghan veteran who fought with him, his pleas for help to the CIA went unanswered.
Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, served in a CIA-backed Afghan force unit, known as the “Zero Units,” in Kandahar. He is facing first-degree murder charges after Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died of her injuries following the Wednesday shooting near the Farragut West Metro station in Washington, D.C. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition.
Investigators are still working to establish a motive for the attack. Rolling Stone spoke to a former Afghan unit mate who pointed to financial pressure and ongoing apparent mental illness as a contributing factor. He also seems to have felt abandoned by the United States government.
“He’s very sad [depressed],” said Lakanwal’s Afghan unit mate, who is not a native English speaker. “He’s very worried. This problem, like, he’d say, ‘I am working nine years or 10 years with [the] U.S. government. [They] never answer my phone [call].’”
Read more: [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/alleged-dc-national-guard-shooter-felt-abandoned-cia-1235474835/](https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/alleged-dc-national-guard-shooter-felt-abandoned-cia-1235474835/)
> The struggles to start over, leave the war behind, and find work were ever present. Lakanwal was fired from his job at a laundromat because he lacked a work authorization card despite being approved for asylum and authorized to work by the Trump administration, according to his former unit mate, who fought alongside him for more than a decade.
>In September, Lakanwal’s nephew requested the Bellingham housing authority approve a move closer to an Afghan community. The handwritten application, reviewed by Rolling Stone, cited Lakanwal’s isolation, lack of English skills, and the need to find employment in a larger community like Seattle. Lakanwal didn’t feel safe in Bellingham after he was assaulted when a man sprayed something into his eyes requiring hospital treatment, according to the application.
> …
> His unit mate said Lakanwal sought help in June from a CIA program designed to aid Zero Unit veterans with immigration issues. Rolling Stone reviewed a screenshot of the group chat in June where Zero Unit veterans shared information with a CIA representative about ongoing issues. Lakanwal posted messages asking for help. His last post went unanswered and was deleted by the chat’s administrator.
This is someone who was failed many times. It doesn’t excuse what he did, but if he had been treated right (or maybe even just with basic decency) it’s almost certain that Sarah Beckstrom would be alive today (she’d also be alive today if she wasn’t used as a prop by the Trump admin).
This seems the most likely scenario. Afghan guides and translators helped us immensely, at great risk to themselves and families. Some for money, many because they believed we would help the country. And now the Taliban is back in control, it’s pretty much guaranteed that anyone with connections with them is persona non grata at best or already executed at worst.
In no way did those National Guard members deserve to be shot. It’s a genuine tragedy. But i seriously doubt the guy was radicalized so much as broken. I could be wrong.
I have worked with the Afghan community before and helped an Afghan translator get acclimated to America. They all feel forgotten about. They can never return home. They are trapped in a country that still largely doesn’t trust them. Many have degrees in their home countries but can only find grueling minimum wage work. They often work 6-7 days a week and have multiple jobs. We failed these people who gave everything to our country. I don’t condone the shooters actions but as soon as it happened I knew that the whole “he was radicalized in America“ excuse was utter bullshit. These men literally fought the against that. And for Trump to suggest deporting his wife and children is sentencing them to rape, abuse, slavery and most likely death. Shame on our country.
I can empathize with what he was going through since coming to the US. Can’t really keep the empathy up given what he did though. There’s simply no excuse for violence.
Yeah right , they got him and his 5 children (a separate post needed to discuss that) and his wife , got him fuckin settled in a liberal state and probably gave him an apartment, food stamps , free medical care.
Yeah whatever life sucks. Fuck this guy.
When the black ops Gladio death squad I work for doesn’t cater to my mental health
[deleted]
Welcome to USA. We are all forgotten. Inmean USA totally dropped the Mujahdeen on their ass after the cold war too. History really repeats itself.
Empty promises. Empty words. Have you see who our elected President is?
Here is the critical piece of info from the article –
“Lakanwal posted messages asking for help. His last post went unanswered and was deleted by the chat’s administrator.
*Rolling Stone* called the CIA representative in the text chat, who claimed it was a wrong number.”
There you have it, folks: We had every opportunity to help this guy, and we just…. didn’t. To the point where the dude who didn’t help wouldn’t even admit that the number they were called directly on was the right number.
…I’m sure he did the same thing to the people he was supposed to help…
And now people have died because of it.
THIS.
This is the price we all pay for these MAGA ideals, and Christian Nationalist pipe dreams.
The movie The Hunted with Benicio del Toro and Tommy Lee Jones
No excuses. Things can be worked out. Dont go around shooting people. Not a hard thing to do.
Well, he was a contract killer for the CIA and got recruited at the age of 15. Of course he would be fucked. He is a traitor to his people and a liability for US.
Why would Joe Biden do this?
If there’s any doubt about the fundamental amorality of US interventionism abroad, let this put it to rest. Any resemblance to altruistic intentions is purely coincidental and will be opportunistically trumpeted far and wide… but the real-world experiences (like this incident) say otherwise. The basest instincts drive warmongering, not the noblest.
I’m sure so do about 20 regimes that took over via coup as well.
That’s not surprising, we do that to all foreign allies once we’ve got what we want.