WASHINGTON – United States law enforcement agencies are screening National Guard members to make sure they do not pose a security risk during president-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, said a four-star general in comments broadcast yesterday.
Following the January 6 riots at the Capitol building in support of President Donald Trump, it emerged that some of those involved have current or former ties to the military.
Gen Daniel Hokanson, who heads the National Guard Bureau, was asked by CBS News on Sunday if troops are being checked as they arrive here.
“In coordination with the Secret Service and the FBI, they’re screening all the personnel that are coming in.”
Much of Washington 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 deployed in the capital.
In a recent letter to all US troops, the joint chiefs of staff told service members that the January 6 riots are “inconsistent with the rule of law”, and said troops “must embody the values and ideals of the nation”. – AFP, January 18, 2021
