National Guard Shooting Confusion Lingers. Did the US Commit a War Crime in Venezuela?

We still don’t fully understand the motivations of the man who shot two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C. last week, killing one and leaving the other in critical condition. The debate currently centers on who vetted him and who bears political responsibility. The administration’s messaging has been scattered. Kristi Noem repeatedly insisted the Biden administration failed in its vetting of Afghan refugees brought into the United States during the 2021 withdrawal, but could not clearly explain whether the Trump administration conducted its own vetting when granting the shooter asylum back in April.

It is not enough to simply say this was Biden’s mess. If the administration believed these refugees were improperly screened, then the natural follow-up question is whether they conducted their own thorough review. And if not, why not? The Associated Press reported that the shooter had fallen into deep depression after being relocated to Bellingham, Washington—a far cry from Kabul—and describes a man isolated from his surroundings, barely functioning, and possibly yelling an Islamic phrase before opening fire. That detail, if verified, shifts the implications significantly.

But as of now, we don’t know whether this was ideological, psychological, or some volatile combination of both. And the administration’s inability to articulate a coherent line leaves room for confusion when clarity is required.