A draft internal memo obtained by the Post argued that the US military should not be required to assist law enforcement in traffic and crowd control unless more than 100,000 protesters were expected at the National Mall that day, the newspaper reported. . The Post did not report on the date of the draft memorandum.
In a letter dated December 31, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser requested support and personnel from the DC National Guard on January 5 and 6.
Ultimately, the Army approved the mission, but the memorandum highlights the hesitation before that day among some of the Pentagon’s upper echelons to involve the military in security on January 6.
Colonel Cathy Wilkinson, an army spokesman, told CNN in a statement that the Department of Defense provided 340 members of the DC National Guard to assist with street closures and crowd control as requested.
“Clearly, the mayor’s request was approved and supported,” Wilkinson told the newspaper. “The draft memorandum has not been signed or approved.”
She added that it is “customary” for the Army staff “to provide options for senior Army leaders to inform their decision-making process.”
Two Army officers told CNN that the memorandum was an option provided by an employee who was not approved or signed by Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy.
The unsigned memo argued that the DC government’s request should be denied because a federal agency had not yet been identified to conduct preparations and the day of operations and felt that law enforcement was “much more appropriate”, the Post reported. .
The Post reported that the Army leadership defended its position during discussions at the Pentagon the weekend before January 6, citing four sources familiar with the deliberations.
This story is breaking and will be updated.