Oklahoma officials blame "refugee resettlement" for the election terror plot

MOORE, Okla. (KFOR) — Several Oklahoma state officials blamed the Biden Administration less than 24 hours after the unsealed affidavit revealed an alleged election terror plot on behalf of ISIS.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond posted on social media Wednesday morning that the Biden Administration is to blame stating, "The American people need to know that this radical Islamic terrorist was imported directly to the United States by the Biden-Harris Administration as part of their controversial refugee resettlement program."

"He's pointing at the wrong target," said the Executive Director for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Catholic Charities Col., Patrick Raglow.

Just after 2021, Oklahoma took in around 1,800 Afghanistan refugees as part of the resettlement program.

"I scrubbed our system three times and I have no record of him existing," said Col. Raglow.

The suspects at the heart of it all are a 27-year-old Afghan national, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, along with a minor who lived in Moore.

The DOJ says 27-year-old Nasim Ahmad Tawhedi liquidated his family’s assets, resettled his family members, and bought AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition in preparation for the planned attack.

A criminal complaint alleges that the FBI found messages between Tawhedi and an unnamed person with ties to ISIS. The FBI also reportedly found a video of Tawhedi reading a text to two children that “describes the rewards a martyr receives in the afterlife,” as well as saved ISIS propaganda on his iCloud and Google accounts.

Moore Public Schools came out Wednesday and announced that the co-conspirator was a student at Southmoore High School who was arrested as well.

When looking into why the alleged plot was conducted in Oklahoma, the affidavit nearly answers that, with the number of times Tawhedi stated the ease at which it takes to buy and own a firearm.

The affidavit showed Tawhedi searching online the questions, "Which US state does not require license to get a firearm?" And "Which U.S. states have passed permit less carry gun laws?"

Messages sent through the messaging app, Telegram, to another person, discussed how easy it was to obtain and have ammunition along with firearms.

"We have ordered 500 bullets. What do you think, brother? Is it enough or should we increase?"

Quote from Tawhedi in documents labeled September 21, 2024

"I don't know, I wouldn't speculate on how he found his way into the United States," said Col. Raglow.

The Attorney General's Office responded to News 4 when pressed on Col. Raglow stating that Tawhedi didn't come from the Oklahoma refugee resettlement program.

To that, they stated that he came from the national program.

"Our national affiliate also scrubbed through their records several times. They work with agencies around the country and they all scrubbed through their records and have no indication of him otherwise," said Col. Raglow.

The documents did state that Tawhedi came in on a special immigrant visa.

The Superintendent for the Oklahoma State Department of Education responded a day after the arrest was announced by also blaming the Biden Administration.

"We have a responsibility that we don't continue hate speech and radicalization and that we continue to educate and remember," said President & CEO, Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Kari Watkins.

Watkins was in another country when officials announced the arrests. She said she was at the United Nations counsel on terrorism and had a panel Wednesday where they discussed it all.

"What everybody kept thinking this morning was what they heard on the news in Oklahoma City," said Watkins.

After he was arrested, the Justice Department said Tawhedi told investigators he had planned an attack for Election Day that would target large gatherings of people.

Tawhedi was charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State, which is designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

He appeared in court Tuesday and was ordered detained. An email to an attorney listed as representing him did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.

News 4 went to the Moore home that he was allegedly trying to sell and was told to leave and never come back by a family member.