WASHINGTON (AP) – US defense officials say they are concerned about an internal attack or other threat from military personnel involved in the swearing-in of President-elect Joe Biden, which has prompted the FBI to examine all 25,000 National Guard troops that come to Washington for the event.
The massive undertaking reflects the extraordinary security concerns that took over Washington after the deadly January 6 uprising on the United States Capitol by rioters pro-Trump. And he stresses the fear that some of the same people assigned to protect the city in the coming days could pose a threat to the new president and other VIPs present.
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told the Associated Press on Sunday that officers are aware of the potential threat and warned commanders to be on the lookout for any problems in their ranks as possession approaches. So far, however, he and other leaders say they have seen no evidence of any threats, and officials said the investigation did not signal any problems they were aware of.
“We are continually going through the process and taking a second, third look at each of the individuals assigned to this operation,” McCarthy said in an interview after he and other military leaders underwent an exhaustive three-hour security exercise in preparation for the Wednesday opening. He said that members of the Guard are also being trained on how to identify potential internal threats.
About 25,000 National Guard members are flowing to Washington from across the country – at least two and a half times the number of previous inaugurations. And while the military routinely reviews service members for extremist connections, FBI screening is added to any previous monitoring.
Several officials said the process started when the first Guard troops began moving to DC, more than a week ago. And they said completion is scheduled for Wednesday. Several officers discussed military planning on condition of anonymity.
“The question is, are they all? Are there others? ”Said McCarthy. “We need to be aware of this and put all the mechanisms in place to scrutinize these men and women who would support any operation like this.”
In a situation like this, the FBI check would involve running people’s names in databases and watch lists maintained by the bureau to see if something alarming was going on. This could include involvement in previous investigations or concerns related to terrorism, said David Gomez, a former FBI national security supervisor in Seattle.
Internal threats have been a persistent priority for law enforcement in the years after the September 11, 2001 attacks. But in most cases, the threats come from local insurgents radicalized by Al Qaeda, the Islamic State group or similar groups. In contrast, threats against Biden’s tenure have been fueled by supporters of President Donald Trump, far-right militants, white supremacists and other radical groups. Many believe Trump’s baseless allegations that the election was stolen from him, a claim that has been refuted by many courts, the Justice Department and Republican officials in key battlefield states.
The Capitol uprising began after Trump made incendiary comments at the January 6 rally. According to McCarthy, service members from all armed forces were at that rally, but it is not clear how many were there or who may have participated in the Capitol invasion. So far, only a few of the current active duty or National Guard members have been arrested in connection with the attack on the Capitol, which left five people dead. Among the dead were a Capitol policeman and a woman shot by the police when she climbed a window in a door near the town hall.
General Daniel R. Hokanson, head of the National Guard Office, has been meeting with Guard troops when they arrive in DC and gather in the center. He said he believes there are good processes in place to identify any potential threats.
“If there is any indication that any of our soldiers or airmen are expressing things that are extremist views, it is either handed over to the police authorities or dealt with the chain of command immediately,” he said.
The internal threat, however, was just one of the security concerns voiced by officials on Sunday, when dozens of military personnel, the National Guard, the police and Washington, DC, officers and commanders underwent a security trial in northern Virginia. . Up to three dozen leaders lined up at tables that surrounded a huge DC color-coded map reflected on the floor. Behind them were dozens of other National Guard officers and officials, their eyes trained on additional maps and charts displayed on the wall.
The Secret Service is responsible for the security of the event, but there are a wide variety of military and police officers involved, from the National Guard and the FBI to the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, the US Capitol Police and the US Park Police.
Commanders examined all aspects of the city’s complicated security blockade, with McCarthy and others bombarding them with questions about how the troops will respond in any scenario and how they can communicate with the other enforcement agencies around the city.
Hokanson said he believes his troops have been properly equipped and prepared, and that they are rehearsing as much as they can to prepare for any contingency.
The main security concern is an attack by armed groups of individuals, as well as planted explosives and other devices. McCarthy said intelligence reports suggest that groups are organizing armed demonstrations that will precede Induction Day, and possibly after that.
Most members of the Guard will be armed. And McCarthy said the units are undergoing repeated exercises to practice when and how to use force and how to work quickly with law enforcement partners. The police would make any arrests.
He said that the Guard units are going through “constant mental repetitions of looking at the map and talking about scenarios with the leaders so that they understand their task and purpose, know their routes, know where they are friendly, the adjacent units are, they have the appropriate frequencies to communicate with their law enforcement partners. ”
The main objective, he said, is for America’s transfer of power to take place without incident.
“This is a national priority. We have to be successful as an institution, ”said McCarthy. “We want to send the message to everyone in the United States and the rest of the world that we can do this safely and peacefully.”
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Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.