Afghan Backdraft: Danger of America’s Covert Partners becoming Threat on U.S. Streets
We’re learning that the Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., previously served as a surrogate in one of the CIA-backed Afghan “Zero Units,” the elite paramilitary teams built, trained, and directed by U.S. intelligence during the war. With public concern growing over how an individual with that background was brought into the United States and ultimately granted asylum, Adam Hardage is available for interviews to provide authoritative, firsthand insight.
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Hardage is a former CIA officer and a veteran of the unconventional-warfare side of U.S. Special Operations Command, where he was directly involved in training and working with surrogate fighters. Few voices in the country can explain with more clarity who these units were, how they operated, and why the U.S. government’s post-withdrawal handling of these individuals deserves urgent scrutiny.
The suspect’s background raises immediate questions that demand expert context. Hardage can walk audiences through the realities of the Zero Units, including what criteria were used to select fighters, the intensity of the missions they carried out, and the psychological toll such operations inflict.
Surrogates for Violence?
This incident also spotlights a larger, uncomfortable truth about America’s reliance on proxy forces. When wartime surrogates are rapidly relocated to the United States without comprehensive debriefing, long-term monitoring, or trauma assessment, the risk does not disappear—it simply moves from the battlefield into American communities. Hardage can provide a sober assessment of how political timelines, hasty evacuation policies, and institutional blind spots contributed to an avoidable breakdown in security.
With decades of operational experience, Adam Hardage brings the rare ability to connect the dots between covert action abroad and public safety at home. He can offer audiences a clear, unvarnished explanation of how this situation developed, what systemic failures it exposes, and what steps the country must take now to prevent similar incidents.
Adam Hardage is available immediately for television, radio, digital, and print interviews.
Adam is available for interview and on-camera discussion.
Relevant Article(s):
OPTIONAL Q&A:
- What does the suspect’s background in a CIA-backed Zero Unit tell us about how he was originally selected, trained, and deployed?
- How did someone with extensive paramilitary experience pass U.S. screening processes and ultimately receive asylum?
- What are the unique psychological or operational stressors carried by former surrogate fighters, and how might those factors have been overlooked?
- Did the rushed nature of the Afghan withdrawal create gaps or shortcuts in the vetting of individuals tied to sensitive U.S. programs?
- How many former paramilitary partner forces are currently in the United States, and what level of monitoring or follow-up exists for them?
- What systemic failures allowed this individual to transition from a U.S.-trained asset overseas to a threat to U.S. service members at home?
- How should the U.S. rethink its use of surrogate forces in light of the risks that arise when those fighters are later relocated here?
- What steps must be taken now to prevent similar incidents involving individuals trained under U.S. covert or special-operations programs?
ABOUT ADAM HARDAGE…
I endorse both this work and the man behind it… He is a patriot, a fighter, a man of faith, and integrity. America needs men like him.”- Lieutenant General (ret.) Michael T. Flynn, National Security Advisor
Adam Hardage is a combat veteran, former CIA Operations Officer, and nationally recognized voice on leadership, national security, and the future of America’s children in an AI-driven world. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Hardage spent over a decade conducting sensitive covert operations across the Middle East and Europe, speaking multiple languages including Arabic. He deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and several other theaters of conflict, gaining firsthand insight into geopolitical strategy, psychological warfare, and the cost of freedom.
After government service, Hardage became a successful CEO, leading Remote Health Solutions to multiple Department of Defense contracts while advocating fiercely for medical and personal freedom during the cultural battles of recent years.
Known for his direct, high-energy commentary, Hardage is a sought-after guest on FOX News, Newsmax, OANN, and major podcasts. His mission now: equip parents and young Americans with the resilience, courage, and clarity needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Author of the Alpha Blueprint:
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