McCaul Statement on Admin’s Failure to Vet Afghan National Arrested for Attempted Terrorist Attack in U.S.

San Francisco, Calif. — House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul issued the below statement following reports that the Biden-Harris administration failed to vet Afghan national Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi despite falsely claiming he cleared a rigorous vetting process. Tawhedi was arrested last week for plotting an Election Day terrorist attack in Oklahoma after he was brought into the United States in September 2021 following the administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. 

“This is another example of how the Biden-Harris administration’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal has significantly compromised our national security. As my investigative report revealed last month, those applying for SIVs must undergo strict vetting processes, but many evacuees brought to the U.S. by this administration in the NEO — regardless of their status — were not vetted. It is important both that we fulfill our obligation to our Afghan allies who risked their lives to support American interests and that this administration implement the highest standard of vetting for all individuals coming to the U.S.”

###