Bulletin From the Borderlands Special Report
Bulletin From the Borderlands Special Report
Afghan National Charged With Plotting Lone Wolf Terror Act
Note from Lethal Minds:
Bulletin From The Borderlands is a joint project between Lethal Minds and some of the most talented OSINT analysts and independent journalists working today. Our goal is to provide you with a clear, accurate, and informative view of the world, free from censorship or bias. The Bulletin will bring you the facts, our analysis, and our evidence. We hope you find our work helps you better understand the complicated and increasingly volatile world in which we live.
Be informed, be prepared, be lethal.
The Author(s):
Jillian Butler: A lifelong writer and San Diego native. She received her bachelor’s degree in English and History at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. Upon moving back to San Diego, she received her master’s in International Relations at the University of San Diego where she centered her research around jihadi terror. She is also a contributing writer for Pop Smoke Media, American Grit, The Modern Insurgent, and Lethal Minds Journal’s Bulletin from the Borderlands. In her free time, she can be found surfing, training jiu jitsu, or improving her craft of cooking the perfect ribeye.
Sponsors
The Bulletin is brought you to by PB Abbate.
As you likely know, Lethal Minds Journal shares common ancestry with Patrol Base Abbate, one of the most impactful veteran’s outreach organizations in America. One of the ways in which we connect is through a love of the written word, a belief in the power of good writing to help give a voice to people who need to be heard, and a desire to help service members and vets connect through self-expression.
Afghan National Charged With Plotting Lone Wolf Terror Act
Earlier this month, an Afghan man living in Oklahoma was charged with plotting a terror attack on election day. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), this was a lone wolf plot on behalf of the Islamic State.
What are Lone Wolf Terror Attacks?
The term “lone wolf” was first popularized in the 1990s by Ku Klux Klan member Alex Curtis and his associate, Tom Metzger. In Curtis’s master plan, his website and magazine, the Nationalist Observer, would be utilized to push “divisive and subversive” messaging to an underground network of “lone wolves” and ultimately push them towards committing acts of racially-motivated violence. Both individuals and small groups qualify as lone wolves. On Curtis’s website, he started a “Lone Wolf Point System”, giving points to would-be assailants depending on the importance of their victims.
Using his website, he reached “100s-1000s of the most radical racists in the world each week.” Followers of his committed a multitude of atrocities, ranging from the burning of synagogues to the murder of a gay couple. Eventually, he was arrested, and lost the support of his followers when he took a guilty plea deal. Upon his arrest and subsequent plea, Tom Metzger wrote in the Nationalist Observer, “the best times haven't even started yet for the lone wolf.” Though lone wolf tactics are still often used by white supremacist groups, there is no single profile for lone wolf terrorists. Lone wolves can be environmentalists, animal rights activists, politically-based, jihadist, or another form of religious zealot. Though they can be self-radicalized like Ted Kacinzki, cases such as Curtis utilizing social media are far more common. It is imperative to differentiate a lone wolf operative from a sleeper cell. A sleeper cell is an individual or group that infiltrates the targeted society and can become activated at any time. A lone wolf is an individual or small group that has already embedded itself in the targeted society and can self-activate at any time.
ISIS and Lone Wolf Attacks
Lone wolf attacks are by far the most common variant of terror attacks in the West. During the War on Terror, groups such as Al-Qaeda lost a considerable amount of militants in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rather than send their ever dwindling number of militants to the West, they targeted Westerners vulnerable to radicalization with pro-jihad internet and social media content. Outside of other specific chapters, ISIS mainly focused its energy on Iraq and Syria, encouraging foreigners to join the group and travel to the region for training. As the caliphate began to fall, and funds became sparse, the group began turning their focus towards lone wolf tactics targeting the West.
In 2016, an ISIS spokesman asserted, “the smallest action you do in the heart of [the West] is dearer to us than the largest action by us and more effective and more damaging.” For ISIS, lone wolf terrorism is a two level game. It saves the group money. Rather than embedding a sleeper cell, easily tracked by the intelligence community and law enforcement, the group rather disseminates content on the internet that reaches the lone wolf. The lone wolf becomes radicalized, pledging allegiance to the group, following directions on obtaining weapons and executing an attack, and does not even need to leave the country for a training camp. An attack on the West where ISIS takes credit draws approval and admiration from sympathizers, thus resulting in increased funding and foreign fighters pledging allegiance.
Foiled Election Attack
On Tuesday, October 8th, 27 year old Nasir Tawhedi was arrested alongside an underage accomplice for planning an ISIS-affiliated terror attack targeting Americans on Election Day. Upon the arrest, Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a statement that the “Justice Department would continue to combat the ongoing threat that ISIS and its supporters pose to America’s national security, and identify, investigate, and prosecute the individuals who seek to terrorize the American people.” Tawhedi and his accomplice–who will remain anonymous due to his age, lived in Oklahoma, but were born in Afghanistan. Tawhedi originally arrived in the United States on September 9th, 2021, following the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan. It was initially believed that he was in America on a special immigration visa. Now the State Department is claiming that they are unsure whether that information is accurate. Two anonymous officials have claimed that Tawhedi worked as a security guard for the CIA while living in Afghanistan. The CIA has yet to comment on the matter.
The pair was arrested on Monday when they met two confidential informants and an FBI agent posing as businessmen in an attempt to buy firearms. They intended to purchase semi automatic weapons, magazines, and ammunition. The two used Telegram to communicate about their plan. One message read, “We found a person who deals with weapons….We have ordered 500 bullets. What do you think, brother? Is it enough or should we increase it?” Other messages between the two included discussions of liquidating assets in order to pay for the weapons, and plans for Tawhedi to relocate his family before the attack. A sweep of his computer confirmed his intent of executing an attack during Election day, revealing searches such as “How to access washington dc cameras” and “Which US state does not require relations to get a firearm?” Imagery from his devices also indicated ISIS sympathism, and he had previously donated money to an organization serving as a front for funneling funds to the Islamic State. In a post-arrest interview, Tawhedi admitted to planning an attack and that he would die as a martyr along with his co-conspirator. In France, an unnamed 22 year old relative of Tawhedi, along with two others were arrested for attempting to plan a large-scale terror plot. French intelligence and law enforcement officials have released very limited information about this plot. However, they have confirmed that Tawhedi’s relation found evidence that “establish[es] radicalization and adherence to the ideology of the Islamic State.” It is alleged that he and the other two individuals were planning a large-scale attack against a football stadium or shopping mall. Tawhedi’s relative is in pretrial detention, while the other two individuals have been released, but remain under investigation.
Analyst Comment
As conflict in the Middle East further emboldens jihadists, this is unlikely to be the only attempted attack in the near future. Previously this year, US officials arrested Tajik nationals in several major American cities with ties to ISIS-K. Recently, US forces conducted an operation in Iraq, leading to the death of at least 15 ISIS fighters, including leaders. A desire for revenge against militants killed and the publicity of Tawhedi’s arrest may serve as a catalyst for the radicalization of more lone actors. The newfound information that Tawhedi worked for the US government, let alone a three letter raises a serious security concern regarding foreign contractors and assets potentially being susceptible to radicalization or already holding such views. His relative being arrested in France for plotting a similar attack indicates a level of coordination, highlighting the importance of intelligence sharing. It is highly possible that there was a planned series of attacks spanning western countries.
Additionally, this may have an impact on the coming election. In this exceptionally polarizing election, the botched Afghanistan withdrawal and immigration concerns are two major points of contention. Islamic terror is a major fear of the public in a post-9/11 America. Having a radically Islamist terrorist arrive in America in the wake of the withdrawal is fuel to the political fire. Political figures such as Marsha Blackburn have already taken to social media to comment on the matter. Trump’s campaign spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt wrote in a statement that Harris had, “rolled out the red carpet for terrorists like Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi.” Harris’s campaign has yet to comment. As the situation develops, misinformation and dissatisfaction will be prevalent from both parties.
Lethal Minds is a reader-supported publication.
Our monthly subscription is : $5
Our annual subscription is : $2.50 a month
Group subscriptions are available at a 25% discount per seat