A chilling revelation is emerging surrounding the individual suspected of shooting National Guard members near the White House. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, wasn’t simply an immigrant – he was a former operative within a highly secretive unit known as the Kandahar Strike Force, or “Zero Units.”
These weren’t ordinary Afghan forces. The Zero Units were meticulously crafted and directly overseen by the CIA, operating as a clandestine network within Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS). Established with substantial CIA backing, the NDS served as the intelligence arm for the previous U.S.-backed Afghan government.
Evidence suggests Lakanwal’s involvement extended beyond mere membership. An ID badge circulating online, though unverified, identifies him as belonging to “03” unit – another designation for the Kandahar Strike Force – and links him to “Firebase Gecko.” This base, located in Kandahar, was once the stronghold of the Taliban’s founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, and later repurposed by the CIA and special forces.
The scope of CIA involvement was comprehensive. Not only did the agency provide training and equipment, but it also directly funded the Zero Units’ operations. A former Afghan general described the Kandahar Strike Force as the “most active and professional forces,” emphasizing that all their missions were conducted under direct CIA command.
These units were exclusively comprised of Afghan nationals, designed to operate in the shadows, conducting sensitive missions across the country. Their existence highlights a complex and often hidden chapter of the conflict in Afghanistan, and raises critical questions about the vetting and monitoring of individuals who once worked alongside U.S. forces.
The implications of this connection are profound. Lakanwal’s past as a CIA-backed operative casts a disturbing light on the security protocols surrounding those who served with the U.S. government in Afghanistan, and the potential risks associated with bringing them into the country.
The Kandahar Strike Force represented a significant investment of resources and trust. Now, the emergence of a former member allegedly involved in an attack on American soldiers forces a difficult reckoning with the long-term consequences of these covert operations.
