Afghan accused of shooting 2 National Guard members was part of CIA-backed unit whose veterans have struggled in the U.S.

Before Rahmanullah Lakanwal settled in a quiet part of Washington state, he was part of a secret unit of Afghans who operated under CIA direction and hunted down Taliban commanders in highly dangerous missions.

They “took malignant actors off the battlefield and saved American lives, period,” said Andrew Sullivan, who served as an officer with the Army’s 1st Division in Afghanistan and is now executive director of No One Left Behind, a nonprofit that helps resettle Afghans who worked for the U.S. military during the war.

These members of “Zero Units,” also known as National Strike Units, were among the most extensively vetted of any Afghans who worked with American forces. CIA officers hailed their bravery, skill and loyalty, and the agency prioritized their evacuation from Afghanistan