At least 2,000 Afghans living in US have terror connections: DNI Tulsi Gabbard

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Friday (Dec 12) said that around 2000 Afghan nationals who entered the country after the 2021 United States withdrawal from Afghanistan have suspected connections with terrorist groups. She accused the Biden Administration of giving refuge to 100,000 Afghans in the country without proper vetting.

She echoed the statement made by a counterterrorism official on Thursday, who said that about 2000 Afghan nationals living in the United States have been identified for alleged links with extremist organisations.

Joe Kent, the director of the US National Counterterrorism Centre (NCTC), testified in front of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee that the individuals entered the country under “Operation Allies Welcome” and were under review for suspected ties to terrorist organisations.

“We’ve identified 2,000 of that group of 88,000 who have ties to terrorist organisations,” Kent said, referring to Afghans evacuated to the United States after 2021. He said authorities were working with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to investigate the cases.

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Kent stated that United States agencies had identified around 18,000 people with an alleged connection with militant groups who had entered America during former President Joe Biden's administration. He described these people as the most significant terrorism-related threat to the United States at present. However, he does not specify how many individuals were of Afghan origin among them.

The NCTC director claimed that terror groups such as Islamic states and Al Qaeda are making a sanctuary in countries including Afghanistan and Syria due to the political instability, and these groups are using online platforms and encrypted apps to grow their influence and plan attacks.

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Kent blamed the policy of the Biden Administration for the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., in November. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the alleged shooter, was an Afghan national and entered the United States in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome.