The Biden-Harris administration has acknowledged that an Afghan national, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, accused of planning a terror attack on Election Day, did not undergo the vetting processes previously claimed by officials.
Tawhedi, 27, was never vetted or approved for special immigrant (SIV) status by the State Department, despite initial assertions from other agencies that he had passed stringent vetting.
Sources familiar with the investigation revealed that Tawhedi, who had a security role with the CIA in Afghanistan, was employed as a local guard outside the base perimeter and was not among the most thoroughly vetted U.S. partners.
The news contradicts earlier claims that Tawhedi had been vetted three times - first to work for the CIA in Afghanistan, then to come to the U.S. on DHS humanitarian parole, and finally for SIV status after arriving in the U.S.
Officials now admit that Tawhedi was never vetted or approved for SIV status, a process that typically takes years to complete and falls under the State Department's jurisdiction.
Despite previous explanations that Tawhedi underwent recurrent vetting under Operation Allies Welcome, questions have been raised about the thoroughness of the process, with discrepancies highlighted in a 2022 DHS Inspector General Report.
The report revealed issues such as incomplete or inaccurate data used for vetting, including missing names, birthdates, and identification numbers, casting doubt on the effectiveness of the vetting procedures.
Tawhedi, who faces charges of conspiring to support ISIS and planning a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, obtained firearms and ammunition for the alleged plot, prompting ongoing investigations into his radicalization timeline.
DHS maintains that vetting processes are continually reassessed, and any potential national security threats are investigated and addressed promptly to safeguard the homeland.
