America, Divided

Constitution Avenue is deserted next to the U.S. Capitol building on January 17, 2021 in Washington, DC  

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

"For this deployment everybody is screened additionally, but it's more of a reassurance, because we do everything we can do [to] know our guardsmen, our soldiers and airmen [are not involved in right-wing politics]."

Major General William Walker, commanding general, District of Columbia Guard

 

"We're continually going through the process, and taking second, third looks at every one of the individuals assigned to this operation."

"The question is, is that all of them? Are there others? We need to be conscious of it and we need to put all of the mechanisms in place to thoroughly vet these men and women who would support any operations like this."

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy

 

"As is normal for military support to large security events, the Department will vet National Guardsmen who are in Washington, D.C. While we have no intelligence indicating an insider threat, we are leaving no stone unturned in securing the capital."

"This type of vetting often takes place by law enforcement for significant security events. However, in this case the scope of military participation is unique."

"The D.C. National Guard is also providing additional training to service members as they arrive in D.C. that if they see or hear something that is not appropriate, they should report it to their chain of command."

"We appreciate the support of the FBI in assisting with this task and for each of the more than 25,000 Guardsmen who answered their Nation’s call and rapidly deployed to the NCR."

Christopher Miller, acting Defence Secretary

 

"There is no place for extremism in the military and we will investigate each report individually and take appropriate action."

"The army is committed to working closely with the FBI as they identify people who participated in the violent attack on the Capitol to determine if the individuals have any connection to the army."

U.S.Army statement

About 25,000 members of the National Guard are streaming into Washington from across the country — at least two and a half times the number for previous inaugurals. (J. Scott Applewhite/The Associated Press)

 A fraught air of deep suspense hangs over tomorrow's presidential inauguration for incoming president Joe Biden at the Capitol building in Washington. The government has undertaken a massive screening of the 25,000 National Guard troops who have filtered into the nation's capital for the past week due to concerns over extremism suspected in the ranks. A number of pro-Trump rioters involved in the January 6 protests were discovered with ties to the military.

As the riot unfolded, the presence of dozens of people in Washington on a terrorist watch list alerted authorities to the scale of the infiltration amongst a vast group of protesters. Out of that alert arose questions over the numbers within the armed forces for whom extremist sentiments resonate. One such reservist involved in the riots was arrested last week. Court papers described him as an "avowed white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer", who was said to have "encouraged" other violent rioters.

 

The FBI is vetting all the National Guard troops coming into Washington for the inauguration after U.S. defence officials expressed concern about an insider attack in securing president-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. (Julio Cortez/The Associated Press)

 

 

Speaking on condition of anonymity a U.S. defence official described a situation where the army and the FBI are working together vetting all service members detailed to support the inauguration. Though maintaining awareness of threats, the army does not collect  domestic intelligence. Thousands of troops in camouflage uniforms now patrol Washington streets where security barriers and fences have been erected in the lead-up to the inauguration.

The screening, according to Maj.Gen.Walker, represents an "extra layer" of security over and above the continuous monitoring the U.S.military engages in with its service members. So far the process of vetting has failed to flag any potential problems with the troops entering to form a protective cordon around the inauguration. Another defence official spoke of 143 notifications of extremism-related probes last year from the FBI, some related to suspected domestic extremism including White nationalism, anti-fascist, anti-abortion and anti-government sympathies.

All personnel aspiring to enter any branch of the U.S. military receiving a security clearance undergo background checks. Captain Chelsi Johnson speaking for the National Guard stated that all members arriving in Washington for the deployment "go through a credentialling process. That information is shared with the requesting federal agencies and added to their database. We cannot speak for those agencies and how they use the information."

 

Onlookers snap a photo of the US Capitol through protective fencing installed after the January 6 attack.

Andrew Lichtenstein/Insider

 

At no other time in the United States has the old Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times" been more appropriate. These are difficult-to-believe times; interesting yes, but dreadfully disturbing in the revelation of the extent of the polarization of American society. At what other time in its honoured history has fencing topped with razor wire been used to keep American citizens out of the Capitol? When was the last occasion when tens of thousands of armed soldiers and police were dispatched to ensure safety and security at the inauguration of a new president?

A Secret Service tent in downtown DC on January 16, 2021.

Andrew Lichtenstein/Insider