-Biden’s inauguration due tomorrow
-Security Agencies begin screening of all attendee
-FBI say they fearing a possible insider attack during Biden’s sworn-in ceremony
DM Monitoring
WASHINGTON: US law enforcement agencies are screening all 25,000 National Guard officers deployed for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, fearing a possible insider attack after it emerged that some of those involved the deadly January 6 riot at the US Capitol had ties to security agencies. “In coordination with the Secret Service and the FBI, they’re screening all the personnel that are coming in,” General Daniel Hokanson, who heads the National Guard Bureau, told CBS News on Sunday.
The comments by the four-star general come as the capital Washington, DC, remains locked down under unprecedented security in the wake of the storming of the Capitol – the seat of the US government – by supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump. The mob wanted to prevent the Congress from certifying Biden’s election following repeated false claims by Trump that the November election was stolen. At least five people died in the worst riot in almost two centuries, and prompted the US Congress to impeach President Trump for “incitement of insurrection”.
Speaking from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi said that ahead of Wednesday’s inauguration day, the National Guard is no longer relying on its usual vetting mechanisms to ensure that those within the service are not radicalised in some way. “We’ve been told constantly from the National Guard leadership that members of the National Guard are routinely vetted for any potential dangers in their backgrounds, any links to extremism and so on,” he said. “The new development that’s been reported is that the FBI is now getting involved.”
Rattansi said the FBI is running the names of the National Guard officers through its own databases, “checking for any red flags, any connection to extremist or militia groups”. At least 21 current and ex-members of the US army and law enforcement have been identified as being at or near the Capitol riot, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
The US Army has also been investigating a psychological operations officer who led a group of people from North Carolina to the rally. Captain Emily Rainey, who had said she acted within military regulations, later resigned. On the lookout for problems: Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy told AP on Sunday that officials are conscious of the potential threat, and he warned commanders to be on the lookout for any problems within their ranks as the inauguration approaches. So far, he and other leaders say they have seen no evidence of any threats, and officials said the vetting had not flagged any issues they were aware of.
”We’re continually going through the process, and taking second, third looks at every one of the individuals assigned to this operation,” McCarthy said in an interview after he and other military leaders went through an exhaustive, three-hour security drill in preparation for Wednesday’s inauguration. He said Guard members are also being trained on how to identify potential insider threats.
Much of Washington, DC, resembles a fortified compound in a war zone, with most of the downtown area blocked off, security fences topped by razor wire and about 25,000 National Guard troops at least two and a half times the number for previous inaugurals deployed to the capital. In a recent letter to all US troops, the Joint Chiefs of Staff told service members the January 6 riots were “inconsistent with the rule of law” and said troops “must embody the values and ideals of the nation.”
