Tune in here to this Monday's edition of the Brett Winterble Show!
We’re joined by Bill Roggio from the Long War Journal to talk about radicalization and the troubling gaps in U.S. security policy. Roggio explains that while the attacker had been vetted as part of Afghanistan’s CIA-supported “Zero Units,” that kind of battlefield vetting doesn’t necessarily translate into suitability for U.S. residency or citizenship. Early reports suggest a mix of possible mental-health concerns and exposure to radical influences, but he cautions that much remains unknown.
Roggio also pushes back on the idea of “self-radicalization,” noting that individuals rarely develop extremist ideology in isolation—there is usually online content, personal contacts, or ideological influencers guiding the process. He raises questions about how the suspect obtained a firearm and stresses the broader challenge of identifying who may pose a threat once inside the country. Overall, Roggio argues that preventing future attacks requires a clearer, stricter approach to vetting and monitoring radicalization pathways.
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