FBI Arrests Afghan Man For Plotting Election Day Attack

The FBI has arrested an Afghan man in Oklahoma for allegedly plotting an election day “terrorist attack,” the U.S. Department of Justice said on Tuesday.

Who Is This Afghan Man?

The man, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, living in Oklahoma City after was plotting the attack in the name of Islamic State, according to the indictment.

Nasir came to the U.S. in 2021 on a special migrant visa.

Special Immigrant Visa programme

The Special Immigrant Visa programme admits up to 50 people a year.

The programme is available to people who worked with the U.S. armed forces or under chief of mission authority as a translator or interpreter in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Indictment

The indictment did not indicate whether Tawhedi worked as translator or interpreter in Afghanistan.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

How Tawhedi Was Preparing For The Attack?

Tawhedi searched online for information on how to access cameras in the capital, Washington, D.C., and for states that did not require a license to get a firearm, according to the indictment.

He also visited the White House and Washington Monument webcameras.

Arrest Of Tawhedi And His Co-Conspirator

Tawhedi and an underage co-conspirator, who is his brother-in-law, were arrested on Monday after they met with FBI assets to buy two AK-47 rifles and ammunition.

After his arrest, Tawhedi said the attack aimed at targeting large gatherings of people.

Motive

He said that he and his co-conspirator expected to die as martyrs.

“We will continue to combat the ongoing threat that ISIS and its supporters pose to America’s national security”,U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

He further stated, ” We will identify, investigate, and prosecute the individuals who seek to terrorize the American people.”

FBI Director Articulates Position On Terrorism

“Terrorism is still the FBI’s number one priority, and we will use every resource to protect the American people,” FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said in a statement.

In a post On X, Wray said, ” I am proud of the men and women of the FBI who uncovered and stopped the plot before anyone was harmed.”

U.S. Threat Environment

Last week, in a “homeland threat assessment,” the Department of Homeland Security said the U.S. threat environment was expected to remain high in the coming year.

This is due to factors including the 2024 election cycle and the war in Gaza.

“Lone offenders and small groups continue to pose the greatest threat,” the department said in an assessment released on October 2.

”Meanwhile, foreign terrorist organizations, including the Islamic State and al Qaeda maintain their enduring intent to conduct or inspire attacks in the Homeland.”

Killings By Islamic State Militant Organization

The Islamic State militant organization has killed and executed thousands of people in the name of its extreme religious interpretation.

(With inputs from Reuters)