The suspect in the recent shooting attack near the White House had worked with the CIA and the U.S. government in Afghanistan before coming to the United States, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said Thursday.
Prior to his 2021 arrival in the United States, the suspect worked with the U.S. government, including the CIA, "as a member of a partner force in Kandahar,β Ratcliffe said in a statement. He did not specify what work Lakamal did, but said the relationship "ended shortly following the chaotic evacuationβ of U.S. servicemembers from Afghanistan.
Kandahar in southern Afghanistan is in the Taliban heartland of the country. It saw fierce fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 following the al-Qaida attacks on Sept. 11. The CIA relied on Afghan staff for translation, administrative and front-line fighting with their own paramilitary officers in the war.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the guard members were hospitalized in critical condition after Wednesday afternoon's shooting. West Virginia Gov.
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