Washington Guard Shooting Exposes Dangerous US Military Overreach

The tragic death of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, in Washington DC this week has laid bare the dangerous consequences of militarising civilian spaces. Her killing, alongside the critical wounding of fellow Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, 24, represents more than just another act of violence: it exposes the fundamental flaws in America's approach to both domestic security and foreign intervention.

The perpetrator, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was not some random criminal but a former CIA-connected Afghan operative, airlifted to the US during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. This connection reveals the bitter irony of America's longest war coming home to roost on its own streets.

The Folly of Military Deployment

The deployment of National Guard troops on Washington's streets was always a recipe for disaster. As District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb warned in his legal challenge against President Trump's deployment order, the very presence of military forces in civilian areas increases the risk of deadly encounters.

Schwalb's prescient words ring hollow now: "No American city should have the US military, particularly out-of-state military who are not accountable to the residents and untrained in local law enforcement, policing its streets."

The response from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, ordering an additional 500 National Guard soldiers to DC's streets, demonstrates the typical American reflex: more militarisation as the solution to problems caused by militarisation.

Imperial Chickens Coming Home

Lakanwal's background as a member of the CIA's secretive 'Zero Units' in Afghanistan highlights the devastating consequences of American imperial adventures. These paramilitary units, directed and equipped by the CIA, conducted capture-or-kill missions against suspected insurgents. The very forces America trained and armed have now turned against American soldiers on American soil.

This tragic irony underscores a fundamental truth: imperial violence abroad inevitably returns home. The same military-industrial complex that devastated Afghanistan for two decades now seeks to impose martial law on America's own capital.

Scapegoating Immigrants

Predictably, the Trump administration has seized upon this tragedy to accelerate its xenophobic agenda. The President announced a comprehensive review of all refugee and asylum cases approved under the previous administration, effectively weaponising one man's actions against entire communities.

The expansion of immigration restrictions to 19 'high-risk' countries, including Afghanistan, Somalia, and Yemen, represents collective punishment of the highest order. These are often the very nations America has bombed, invaded, or destabilised, creating the refugee crises it now refuses to address.

Trump's promise to "permanently pause migration from all third world countries" reveals the racist underpinnings of this policy, particularly when contrasted with his preferential treatment of white South Africans based on dubious claims of genocide.

A Dangerous Precedent

The federal judge's ruling that the National Guard presence is illegal offers a glimmer of hope, though the administration's aggressive appeal suggests this militarisation will continue. The precedent being set in Washington today could be applied to any American city tomorrow, as Schwalb warned.

Ireland knows well the dangers of military occupation. Our own experience with British forces on our streets demonstrates how quickly 'temporary' security measures become permanent instruments of oppression. The parallels between Northern Ireland in 1969-1970 and Washington today are deeply troubling.

The sight of soldiers patrolling civilian areas, the escalation of violence, and the authoritarian response all echo patterns familiar to those who lived through decades of military occupation in the North.

The Real Security Threat

The greatest threat to American security is not immigration or urban crime, but the military-industrial complex that profits from perpetual warfare abroad and authoritarian control at home. The same forces that turned Afghanistan into a graveyard now seek to transform America's cities into occupied territories.

Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe are victims not just of one man's violence, but of a system that prioritises military solutions over social investment, imperial adventure over domestic justice, and corporate profit over human dignity.

As preparations begin for next year's 250th anniversary celebrations of American independence, the irony could not be starker: a nation founded in rebellion against military occupation now imposes that same occupation on its own people.

True security comes not from soldiers on street corners, but from addressing the root causes of violence: poverty, inequality, and the trauma inflicted by decades of imperial warfare. Until America confronts these fundamental issues, tragedies like this will continue to unfold with predictable regularity.