When Armed Forces Police Civilian Streets: The Washington DC Crisis
The tragic death of National Guard soldier Sarah Beckstrom, 20, in Washington DC this week represents far more than an isolated incident. It exposes the dangerous militarisation of civilian policing that threatens democratic principles across the Western world.
Beckstrom and fellow Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, 24, were ambushed near a metro station by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan refugee who had worked with CIA paramilitary units. The attack has accelerated America's slide towards permanent military occupation of its own capital.
The Slippery Slope of Military Policing
What concerns progressive observers is not just this deployment, but its inevitable escalation. We have witnessed similar patterns in Northern Ireland from 1969-1970, where light military presence transformed into full occupation with helmets, rifles and armoured vehicles patrolling civilian areas.
The risk was always present: what happens when military forces, trained for warfare, encounter complex urban situations requiring community policing skills? The answer lies bleeding on Washington's streets.
District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb had warned precisely of this outcome, arguing that military presence on civilian streets would attract attacks from criminals, terrorists and lone actors seeking to draw attention to their causes. His prescient legal challenge described the deployment as "an involuntary military occupation that far exceeds presidential authority."
Federal Overreach and Democratic Accountability
Schwalb's constitutional challenge highlighted a fundamental democratic principle: "No American city should have the US military, particularly out-of-state military who are not accountable to residents and untrained in local law enforcement, policing its streets. It's DC today but could be any other city tomorrow."
This resonates deeply with Irish experience of foreign military occupation. While the National Guard represents domestic forces rather than foreign armies, the principle remains: civilian policing requires civilian oversight, local accountability and community consent.
The Long Tail of Imperial Wars
Tragically, both victims were born after September 11, 2001, yet they died from consequences of America's longest war. Lakanwal served with CIA-directed "Zero Units" in Afghanistan, paramilitary forces involved in capture-or-kill missions against suspected insurgents.
His journey from CIA asset to alleged killer illuminates the moral bankruptcy of imperial interventions. The same forces that created him as a "partner" in overseas violence have now turned that violence homeward.
Accelerating Authoritarianism
Rather than reconsidering militarised policing, the Trump administration has doubled down. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth immediately deployed 500 additional soldiers to DC streets. Reports suggest all Guard patrols will now be accompanied by police officers, preparing for permanent military presence.
The shooting has also intensified immigration crackdowns, with the administration announcing a "reverse migration" agenda targeting legal immigrants from 19 "high-risk" countries. This represents collective punishment of entire populations for one individual's actions.
Lessons for Ireland and Europe
As Ireland navigates its own security challenges while maintaining democratic principles, Washington's crisis offers crucial lessons. Military forces excel at warfare but lack the nuanced training required for community policing. Their deployment inevitably escalates tensions rather than resolving them.
European social democracies must resist similar militarisation pressures. Effective policing requires community trust, local accountability and proportionate responses to genuine threats. Military occupation, whether foreign or domestic, fundamentally undermines these principles.
The death of Sarah Beckstrom should serve as a warning: when we deploy armies against our own people, we all become casualties of that decision.