The Defeated

Cutting through the lies and distortions coming from this White House has become such an arduous task that the truth routinely gets lost in the process.

So a young man, trained by the CIA in Afghanistan to fight against his own people, was among those few able to escape as the Americans withdrew in 2021, thereby avoiding the revenge exacted by the victorious Taliban had he been left behind.

Instead, he made it to America. He resettled with his family in Washington state, but eventually showed signs of a profound sense of dislocation, as well as economic hardship and PTSD and the other effects of the endless war in his home country.

Meanwhile, the U.S. President, citing non-existent data, claims that violent crime is out of control in our major cities, including Washington, D.C. He orders the National Guard to occupy the nation’s capital.

They troops languish there, having little to do, because the crime that actually exists is beyond their ability to suppress.

For reasons that are perhaps unknowable, the troubled Afghan man makes his way across the country to Washington and commits an awful crime by shooting two National Guardsmen, one of whom dies from her wounds.

Trump immediately brands this “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror” and seizes on the tragedy to end all migration from Afghanistan and other poor countries.

There are so many things wrong with this story, I hesitate to even try to tell it. There is no crime wave. There is no need for troops in our cities. There has been no act of terrorism. But there is a profound need for mental health services for those suffering from PTSD and for those migrating here from war-torn areas.

Those are the very types of social services that Trump has been cutting as he dismantles as much of the social welfare state as he can, putting those like the young Afghan at increased risk.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem says the man was “radicalized“ in the U.S.

But as reported by NPR, a volunteer who worked with the man’s family and other Afghan refugees in Washington state “saw no sign of radicalization. Instead they described an individual who seemed to be experiencing a deepening personal crisis, complicated by (his) poor English-language skills and deepening cultural isolation. The volunteer said there were no organized resources for refugees beyond their initial welcome.”

According to ABC, “As investigators continue to delve into what may have motivated the suspect, a portrait of a life of increasing financial stress and a potential mental health crisis has emerged…

“(M)ultiple sources said that investigators are looking into the impact of the recent death of an Afghan commander, who allegedly worked with the suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

“The death of the commander -- whom Lakanwal is said to have revered -- had deeply saddened the suspect, sources said.

“This may have compounded on Lakanwal’s financial burdens, including not being employed, having an expired work permit and allegedly struggling to pay rent and feed his children, sources said.

“Officials said the suspect has a wife and five children. He drove from his residence in Washington state to the nation’s capital prior to the shooting and targeted the Guardsmen, officials said.”

NPR reported that “Lakanwal held jobs for brief periods and hosted gatherings at his home, the volunteer said, but by 2023 he began isolating himself and appeared “defeated” by the challenges of finding steady work and adapting to life in the United States.”

It’s a sad story but it’s not terrorism. And the victims never should have been on duty in the first place. Lakanwal may still have committed a crime, given his state of mind, but not this one.

HEADLINES:

• Trump administration ‘harassing’ Afghan refugees after National Guard shooting: Kelly (The Hill)

• Afghan suspect in D.C. National Guard attack appeared to suffer personal crisis (NPR)

• Haunted by History, Japanese Americans Fight Trump’s Immigration Crackdown (NYT)

• Trump reportedly gave Maduro ultimatum to relinquish power in Venezuela (Guardian)

• Lawmakers Suggest Follow-Up Boat Strike Could Be a War Crime (NYT)

• Trump backs Hegseth as Congress plans boat strike review (Axios)

• Trump says Hegseth told him he didn’t order killing of boat crew (WP)

• Hegseth Makes Fun of War Crimes With Twisted AI Children’s Book Meme (TNR)

• Pete Hegseth’s Shameless Boasting About Caribbean Drone Strikes Is Everything Wrong with the U.S. Right Now (Esquire)

• How 200 New Yorkers Foiled an ICE Raid Before It Even Began (Time)

• The Bubble-Wrapped President (Atlantic)

• White House Says Trump Underwent ‘Preventative’ Cardiovascular And Abdominal MRIs (Forbes)

• All the president’s millions: how the Trumps are turning the presidency into riches (Guardian)

• A lost generation of news consumers? Survey shows how teenagers dislike the news media (AP)

• Will Ireland’s new alcohol warning labels turn people away from drinking? (BBC)

• China is using AI to extend censorship and surveillance (WP)

• More of Silicon Valley is building on free Chinese AI (NBC)

• AI may discriminate against you at work. Some states are making that illegal. (WP)

• Grandmother Can’t Trust Herself To Keep Raisins In House (Onion)