Afghan man allegedly planned Nov. 5 terrorist attack

The Justice Department on Tuesday charged 27-year-old Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi with conspiring to conduct an Election Day terrorist attack on behalf of the Islamic State group. The FBI arrested Tawhedi on Monday in Oklahoma, after the agency said he purchased rifles and ammunition from an undercover law enforcement officer. The FBI also arrested an unnamed juvenile who, it alleged, conspired with Tawhedi. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court, the Justice Department said.

What details have been released about the allegations? Tawhedi was preparing to repatriate his family to Afghanistan ahead of the attack he allegedly planned to conduct in the United States, according to the FBI’s criminal complaint. He was charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group. The Justice Department also charged him with receiving a firearm to be used to commit a felony or act of terrorism, court documents. The charges carry maximum prison sentences of 20 years and 15 years, respectively.

What evidence did the department find? Following his arrest on Monday, the FBI searched Tawhedi’s phone and discovered communications between him and a recruiter for the terrorist group. Officials also say he saved Islamic State group propaganda to online accounts, participated in Telegram groups supporting the group, and donated to a charity that funnels money to the group. A video recorded this summer showed Tawhedi reading to two children a text that describes the rewards a martyr receives in the afterlife, according to the criminal complaint. Prosecutors say that Tawhedi admitted in a post-arrest interview that he planned an attack on Election Day that would target large groups of people. He and his co-conspirator planned to die in the attack, he allegedly said.

How long had the defendant been living in the United States? According to prosecutors, Tawhedi entered the United States on a special immigrant visa in September 2021, days after American forces pulled out of Afghanistan. He has resided in Oklahoma City with his wife and young child. In regard to his residency, he has been on parole status pending adjudication of his immigration proceedings. Tawhedi’s juvenile co-conspirator entered the country in 2018 and is Tawhedi’s brother-in-law, according to court documents.

Following the arrests, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., blamed inadequate screenings following the Afghanistan withdrawal for allowing Tawhedi into the country. Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas joined Green in calling on the Biden administration to improve its border security and immigration policies. Pfluger leads the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report about the House condemning the Biden administration for its handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.