What Washington Failed to Predict

The attack carried out in Washington DC by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan trained, tested, and deemed reliable by the CIA, cannot be dismissed as a mere coincidence, a simple security lapse, or an isolated incident. Likewise, attempts by President Donald Trump and certain American investigators to frame the inquiry in a misleading or politically convenient manner are unjustified attempt. Evidence so far indicates that this event did not originate from ideological extremism, nor is it the product of any organized militant network. Instead, it reflects both the personal disillusionment of one individual and the broader, painful legacy of U.S. foreign policy, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq, where decades of war, harsh policies, and human rights violence inflicted deep psychological scars on entire populations.

During the War on Terror, U.S. forces and the local units operating under their command were, at times deliberately and indirectly, conditioned to act with little regard for human rights. The documented abuses in infamous detention facilities in Kabul and Baghdad, often overlooked or downplayed in political discourse, remain etched in history as stark examples of brutality carried out under the guise of counterterrorism. In Afghanistan, in particular, two decades of raids, arbitrary killings, and routine humiliation left enduring scars on the psychological and emotional fabric of society.

Thus, the White House incident cannot be understood as the isolated reaction of a single individual. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a soldier shaped by the very policies under which he served, was neither driven by religious extremism nor connected to radical networks. His professional life had been defined by harsh duties carried out in alignment with U.S. objectives, and he likely arrived in Washington with expectations informed by the sacrifices he had made in fulfilling those demands. Instead, he met an environment marked by indifference, bureaucratic neglect, and deep psychological strain. This combination of personal pressure, compounded by the wider legacy of collective trauma experienced by many Afghans, provides context for understanding the factors that may have influenced his behavior, even though it can never excuse or legitimize it.

The incident exposes a deeper societal and political memory. When powerful nations reduce the human cost of war to statistics and marginalize the suffering of populations in bureaucratic reports, trust erodes, justice falters, and suppressed emotions accumulate, sometimes erupting in dangerous and unpredictable ways. Rahmanullah’s act, while morally indefensible, signals the unresolved consequences of systemic violence, prolonged conflict, and the failure of global powers to acknowledge the human toll of their policies.

I believe the incident of shooting National Security Guards in Washington DC is not just an isolated tragedy but a clear manifestation of the cumulative failures of U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan. Rahmanullah’s act is a warning that decades of structural injustice, neglect, and disregard for human suffering can erupt in ways that are unpredictable, morally troubling, and politically exploitable. The political exploitation of such incidents, such as President Trump framing it as a threat from Muslim immigrants, demonstrates how governments can turn individual despair into fear-driven policy, further deepening societal divisions rather than addressing the root causes.

In the United States, the incident has triggered harsher rhetoric around immigration and national security. President Trump has portrayed it not as an isolated act but as a nationwide threat posed by immigrants, particularly Muslims. Such events provide Trump and his political base with a powerful tool to amplify fear, justify hardline immigration policies, and reinforce his narrative that only he can protect the nation. By blaming Democratic policies for security gaps and presenting President Biden’s softer immigration approach as evidence of vulnerability, Trump seeks to restore support for his earlier extreme measures and manipulate public perception. Emotional fear, psychological pressure, and portrayals of immigrants as potential threats become instruments of political advantage, rather than reflections of genuine security concerns.

Ultimately, this attack is not merely an individual’s psychological breakdown. It is a stark reflection of structural injustice, unresolved trauma, and the failure of global powers to take responsibility for the human consequences of their policies. Politicians may attempt to mask this reality with rhetoric, narratives, and political calculations, but history will record it plainly. Until major powers confront and reckon with the real human costs of their foreign interventions, incidents like this will continue to emerge as echoes of systematic violence and collective suffering.

 

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