Republicans blast Biden administration over Afghan national charged in Election Day terror plot

Congressional Republicans attacked the Biden-Harris administration on Tuesday night, after the Justice Department charged an Afghan national, who was allowed into the country following the U.S.'s shaky withdrawal from Afghanistan, over an alleged terror plot on Election Day.

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was arrested by the FBI on Monday and charged with multiple crimes including conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, according to a Justice Department announcement on Tuesday.

Tawhedi has been legally in the United States since Sept. 9, 2021, after he was granted special parole permission to enter the country during Operation Allies Refuge following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a senior US official speaking on condition of anonymity told Just The News.

Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley slammed the administration for "hiding" behind a classification excuse in a social media post.

"FBI arrested Afghan natl for plotting ISIS inspired terror attack after entry on a SIV visa in [2021]" Grassley posted to X. "I was vocal critic of LACK OF VETTING by Biden-Harris admin of SIV visas & took a lot of heat[. The] Admin hid behind 'classification' excuse[.] U see why vetting &oversight is so important???"

House Homeland Security chairman Mark Green and GOP Texas Rep. August Pfluger issued a joint statement on the arrest on X, claiming the House committee had warned of terrorism from border crossings multiple times.

"When tens of thousands of insufficiently vetted individuals are let into the interior, this is the inevitable result," the lawmakers wrote. "This committee has repeatedly warned of the terror threats stemming from the Biden-Harris administration's failed leadership and disastrous border policies. 

"Unfortunately, our calls for transparency regarding the inadequate vetting and screening following the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan continue to go unanswered - and here, Americans almost paid the price."

Wisconsin GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany also took to social media to criticize the current administration.

"Biden and Harris let an Afghan national into our country who was plotting an Election Day terrorist attack. How many more are in our neighborhoods?" Tiffany questioned in a post on X. 

The criticism comes after the Homeland Security Inspector General's office and members of Congress previously raised grave concerns about the way the Biden administration vetted Afghan refugees who were let into the country after the withdrawal.

Charging documents in the new case allege that Tawhedi attempted to purchase semiautomatic firearms and ammunition in order to carry out the attack, and even had plans to resettle his family overseas ahead of the planned Nov. 5 attack. At least one co-conspirator was also referenced, but was not identified because they were a minor.

It is not clear where the attack would have taken place, but Tawhedi allegedly Googled "How to access washington dc cameras" and "Which US state does not require relations to get a firearm?" and visited the White House and Washington Monument webcams in July.

Tawhedi also allegedly admitted the plot in a post-arrest interview with investigators, and stated that they planned to target "large gatherings of people," and that both him and the undisclosed minor "expected to be martyred" and die during their attack.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.