A recent FBI operation has exposed a shocking plot to attack Americans on Election Day, all tied to an Afghan national living in Oklahoma City. The man, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, was charged by a US federal court for allegedly working with the terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) to carry out this dangerous plan.
According to a press release from the US Department of Justice, Tawhedi, who came to the United States from Afghanistan in 2021, was arrested on October 7. FBI agents, disguised as individuals ready to supply him with weapons, caught Tawhedi and a young accomplice at a rural location in Oklahoma. They had just received two AK-47 rifles, ten magazines, and 500 rounds of ammunition when the agents moved in and arrested them.
The investigation reveals that Tawhedi had been in contact with someone linked to ISIS. This individual is believed to be responsible for recruiting and training people interested in terrorist activities. In Tawhedi’s phone and online accounts, FBI agents found ISIS-related materials, further evidence that he was serious about carrying out the attack. His communications suggested he was preparing for a large-scale assault on Election Day, with the goal of targeting big crowds.
What makes this case even more troubling is how Tawhedi came to the US. He entered the country just days after the US military withdrew from Afghanistan in September 2021, using a special immigrant visa meant for Afghans. While awaiting his immigration hearing, he was allowed to stay in the US on parole.
This arrest comes as part of the FBI’s ongoing efforts to stop terrorism on US soil, but not without controversy. Some past reports, including those by Human Rights Watch and The Intercept, have suggested that the FBI sometimes targets vulnerable individuals, encouraging them to engage in terrorist activities before stepping in to stop them. These claims bring into question the FBI’s tactics, though they maintain that their goal is to protect the public.
For now, Tawhedi faces serious charges, including conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and obtaining firearms for use in a terrorist attack. If convicted, he could spend up to 35 years in prison.
This story serves as a reminder of the ongoing threat of terrorism and the difficult balance between security and civil rights in the fight to protect the US from extremists.
