Washington, 15 May

In a move that has sparked widespread controversy, the Trump administration appointed two former jihadist operatives—Ismail Royer and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf—to the White House Advisory Board of Lay Leaders. Royer, who was convicted in 2004 for aiding individuals in joining a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) training camp in Pakistan and participating in terrorist activities in Kashmir, served 13 years of a 20-year sentence. His appointment, alongside Yusuf, co-founder of Zaytuna College, has drawn sharp criticism from political allies and security experts, raising concerns over national security and the vetting process for such significant advisory roles. The inclusion of individuals with past affiliations to proscribed terror groups on an official U.S. government panel underscores the complexities and potential risks involved in integrating reformed individuals into sensitive positions of influence.