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Only one of three Afghan suspects was on US terror watch list of 18,000
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has identified nearly 2,000 Afghans with suspected terror ties and continues to share intelligence with law enforcement agencies.
U.S. authorities are reviewing a classified terror watch list of about 18,000 people after it emerged that only one of three Afghan nationals arrested in recent high-profile cases was on the list, the New York Post reported, citing an intelligence source.
According to the NY Post, the revelation has raised concerns that some suspects may have been radicalized after arriving in the United States. The issue gained renewed attention following last month’s shooting of National Guard members in Washington, DC.
National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent told lawmakers at a December 11 hearing that around 18,000 known or suspected terrorists entered the U.S. over a four-year period under the previous administration. Since then, officials have been combing through the database to assess potential threats and examine how certain individuals were admitted into the country.
Jaan Shah Safi was the only one of three recently arrested Afghan nationals listed in the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE), the U.S. government’s central terror database. Safi, who arrived in the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, is accused of providing weapons and other support to ISIS-K. U.S. officials say he remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
The other two suspects — Rahmanullah Lakanwal, charged with killing a National Guard member in Washington, and Mohammad Dawood Alokozay of Texas, accused of threatening a suicide attack — were not on the watch list, according to the Post. Intelligence officials cited in the report said this suggests they may have been radicalized after entering the United States.
The Post said the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has identified nearly 2,000 Afghans with suspected terror ties and continues to share intelligence with law enforcement agencies.
The issue has reignited debate over the vetting process used during the rapid evacuation of Afghans in 2021, when more than 100,000 people were brought to the United States.
Lawmakers and officials quoted by the New York Post called for closer scrutiny of those admitted during that period, amid growing political and public concern over national security and immigration policy.
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Pakistan: Afghan students with valid visas can complete their education
Sajjad Haider Khan, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says there is no government decision to return all Afghan students from Pakistan.
Khan said Afghan students who are enrolled in valid degree programmes and hold valid visas can remain in Pakistan and complete their education.
He added that students who are not registered at a university or do not hold valid visas have been instructed to return to Afghanistan.
The Pakistani official said students studying in foreign countries are expected to have both valid enrollment and valid visas for the purpose of their stay, stressing that both are necessary.
This comes after the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council recently decided to expel Afghan medical students from the country and instructed universities not to enroll new students.
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Acting Afghan ambassador meets Malaysian House Speaker over bilateral ties
Naqibullah Ahmadi, Acting Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Malaysia, met on Thursday with Tan Sri Dato Johari bin Abdul, Speaker of Malaysia’s House of Representatives, to discuss bilateral relations.
According to a statement from the Afghan Embassy in Malaysia, the two sides discussed the Islamic Emirate’s foreign policy, Afghanistan’s engagement with regional countries and the international community, as well as the country’s security situation, economic developments and investment opportunities.
The two sides also discussed further expanding bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Malaysia, joint cooperation in various sectors, and facilitating the movement of government officials, businesspeople and tourists between the two countries.
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Baradar discusses expanding economic and trade ties with Turkish envoy
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, met on Thursday with Sadin Ayyıldız, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, to discuss expanding economic, trade and transit relations between the two countries, as well as resolving problems faced by Afghan migrants in Türkiye.
According to a statement from the deputy PM’s office, Baradar expressed appreciation for the activities of Turkish companies that have invested in various sectors in Afghanistan and called on other Turkish investors to invest in the country as well.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs said the Islamic Emirate would provide the necessary facilities for Turkish investors.
Baradar also stressed the need to resolve the problems of Afghan migrants in Türkiye and provide them with greater assistance and facilities.
Meanwhile, Ayyıldız welcomed the increase in trade between Afghanistan and Türkiye and said his country was ready to further expand its relations with Afghanistan in transport, transit, health, education and other economic sectors.
The Turkish ambassador added that Türkiye would continue its cooperation in strengthening relations between Afghanistan and the international community and in presenting a realistic image of Afghanistan to the world.
He also said Türkiye had introduced facilities for issuing visas to Afghans and would seek to provide further facilitation in this area.
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