President Trump called for "reverse migration" and a "major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations" in a racist late-night online rant Nov. 27. In the bizarre Thanksgiving message, Trump vowed to "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries" and to revisit immigration decisions made under his predecessor, Joe Biden. He said deportations will target "anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country" or is "non-compatible with Western Civilization." Trump's message followed the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington DC, apparently by an Afghan refugee, Rahmanullah Lakanwal. Hours before the Washington shooting, the White House had already confirmed plans to re-vet refugees already settled in the US.

The Nov. 26 shooting in Washington, which killed 21-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounded a second National Guard soldier, is said to have been committed by 29-year-old Afghan refugee Rahmanullah Lakanwal. While much of the media coverage has focused on Trump's angry response—including his decision to suspend immigration requests from all Afghans—less is being written about the alleged shooter's difficult life in Afghanistan. Originally from the southeastern province of Khost, Lakanwal reportedly served in Kandahar as part of the so-called Zero Units: paramilitary forces sponsored and controlled by the CIA—notorious for conducting night raids on the homes of suspected Taliban collaborators. Rights groups have accused them of extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, indiscriminate airstrikes, and attacks on medical facilities. According to the New York Times, the brutality of the Zero Unit tactics took a toll on Lakanwal's mental health, with a childhood friend recalling how he suffered from psychological problems and was disturbed by the casualties his unit had caused.

From The New Humanitarian, Nov. 28

See our feature report on Afghanistan's CIA/NATO-backed paramilitaries.