Posted on 02/03/2021 3:01:19 AM PST by Kaslin
There were roughly 25,000 National Guard members in Washington, D.C., for the inauguration of President Joe Biden. It has been normal practice to have some National Guard in town for inaugurations, but 25,000 was far more than any number from the past. Of course, nerves were raw after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, but there is little doubt that mobilizing 25,000 troops was an overreaction.
Now, 5,000 are still in the nation's capital. The inauguration was nearly two weeks ago. It went off without incident. There is no need for troops in the city. And yet, touring the federal area of Washington, one finds tall fencing and razor wire creating a huge militarized zone around the Capitol, with National Guard members guarding it from inside the fence. The barrier is not just on the perimeter of the Capitol. It extends for blocks beyond the building in every direction.
Now the head of the Capitol Police wants to make the fencing permanent, and the National Guard has not left. They are staying at least until mid-March, apparently because authorities fear another Jan. 6-style riot from Trump supporters.
"There are several upcoming events -- we don't know what they are -- over the next several weeks, and they're concerned that there could be situations where there are lawful protests, First Amendment-protected protests, that could either be used by malicious actors, or other problems that could emerge," Secretary of the Army John Whitley told the press last week.
The proposal to make the fence permanent has met bipartisan opposition, not only from Capitol Hill but from the District of Columbia government.
"Permanent fencing would send the wrong message to the nation and the world, by transforming our democracy from one that is accessible and of the people to one that is exclusive and fearful of its citizens," said Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia's delegate to Congress.
It's a different story with the troops. While some, like D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, have called for the troops to go home, others, like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have remained silent, preferring to make vague and ominous statements like, "The enemy is within." That is apparently Pelosi's way of turning the security issue to her partisan advantage, hinting that Hill Republicans are the true enemy.
There are reports the troops are staying because those in charge -- Pelosi? Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer? Others? -- want them at the ready during the Trump impeachment trial, set to begin next week in the Senate. There are other reports that there might be a big protest on March 4, which was the Constitution's original presidential inauguration day until it was changed to Jan. 20 in the 1930s. In any event, the troops are in town.
The Biden White House is staying out of it, publicly at least. At a recent briefing, spokeswoman Jen Psaki declined to answer a question on the Guard, referring journalists to the Defense Department.
But there are some voices saying enough is enough. Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a U.S. Army veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, has called for the troops to go home. In a FoxNews.com op-ed, Cotton wrote that the Guard deserves gratitude for deploying on short notice after the violence at the Capitol began. They stayed for the two weeks until the inauguration. Now, it's time for them to go.
"The lesson of the Capitol riot is not that we should quarter a standing army at the Capitol just in case," Cotton wrote, "but rather that our security measures should be calibrated to the actual threats." Cotton noted that he is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and is aware of no threat that would justify continued Guard presence.
In a recent text exchange, Cotton gave his prescription for what should be done now: "Store fencing, send home troops. The Capitol Police can get reinforcements from local law enforcement and local National Guard much faster with coordination. Tailor the personnel and physical barriers to any given threat." In other words, what the Capitol needs is better policing, not a standing army, and not a permanent fence, to deal with whatever threat may or may not be out there.
The question now is whether the leadership on Capitol Hill will listen. Will the fence really come down? Or will it continue to stand on a "temporary" basis? Will the troops go home, or will their "temporary" deployment last beyond March? Those are questions Speaker Pelosi and other top lawmakers need to answer.
This content originally appeared on the Washington Examiner at washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/byron-yorks-daily-memo-why-is-the-national-guard-still-in-washington.
There are events, but the Army doesn’t know what they are?!?
They are there still because they plan on passing laws that will compel citizens to take to the streets in huge numbers, possibly even armed.
The Capitol is occupied by the army. Let’s just pretend that’s normal in America.
What I wanna know: Are there any other personnel in DC other than the NG?
If so, who are they, who’s paying, and to whom do they answer?
Where's the lie?
They are there still because they plan on passing laws that will compel citizens to take to the streets in huge numbers, possibly even armed
5000 troop won’t stop 75 million pissed off voters. Its to twart a Trump return.
“them” is afraid of “us”
They know they haven’t the consent required to govern
It’s obvious.
The Xi Biden Regime is worried about the Impeachment Trial.
and a possible Patriot response.
Maybe they’re just trying to bend the curve.
It’s all optics. They like to use the military as play things.
It’s like that Pope type funeral they gave the Capitol police officer that died. 90 days ago, they wanted to defund the police, now they’re honoring them? yeah.
They pretend to care and we pretend to believe them.
Caesar crossed the Rubicon. Brought his legions into Rome.
Destroyed the Republic - installed himself as dictator.
He ended up dead in the Forum on the ides of March.
There are five:
1. Sergeant of the Arms ‘group’, around 800 to 900 of them....mostly to provide protection for the House/Senate. Their boss reports currently to the majority leader of the Senate.
2. Capital Police, around 2,000 of them. They report to a ‘board’ which is monitored by Appropriations Committees in the House and Senate.
3. Potentially, the Metro Police of DC (3,800 of them) report to the Mayor and could be used.
4. US National Park Police, numbers around 600-to-700.
5. Finally, the National Guard.
My humble opinion...I think some budget package will be passed here by the end of February to allow the Capital Police to bulk up, maybe in the range of hiring another 3,000 to 4,000 (probably half hired this year and the rest hired in 2022). Armored vehicles, etc....will probably be part of this package.
What you see from spring of 2022 on, will be similar in nature to the Baghdad ‘Green Zone’. It’ll shock some people, and tourism will drop off by 50-percent once the public understands what is going to exist.
What I would like to know (and what you all should like to know as well) is, how did the various Blue State guards get sent to DC in the first place?
Who gave the orders? Who was in command of the operation?
I presume that to enter DC and carry out the pre-inauguration show of force, a) they had to be Federalized, and b) they had to be under someone’s command.
Where is the Federalization order? Where are the orders creating a command structure and ROE? Who signed them, and by what authority?
Why they are there now is obvious. Why, and at whose command, they were there before noon on January 20 is not at all obvious.
Democrats and their media propagandists can’t come to grips with the fact that tens of millions of Americans hold our government institutions in such dismissive contempt. They have to pretend the events of January 6th were comparable to a Confederate insurrection because they can’t bring themselves to admit that the Capitol was sacked by a bunch of clowns from “Animal House.”
they are props for the insurrection impeachment.
the Swamp’s attempt to prove there really was an insurrection which required troops on the street.
The passive voice really won't do here.
Saying "the Guard deployed" is like saying "the gun went off"
Guns don't "go off" unless someone pulls the trigger.
The National Guards of several blue states don't "deploy themselves" in the national capital without orders. They can't all respond to orders emanating from Washington, nor can they deploy in the District of Columbia, unless they are Federalized.
Were they Federalized? When, and by whose authority? Where are the orders? Who signed them?
I know why they are there now. What I don't understand is who planned and carried out the occupation of the capital while Trump was still President.
ehhh...”them” has to control the “investigation” ...because “them” set up this lame attack to misdirect attention from the coup they just ..so far successfully.. ran
What I wanna know: Are there any other personnel in DC other than the NG?
.......................................................
Ft. Meyer across the Potomac in Va., Fort Belvoir nearby in Md. Marine Barracks in D.C., Anacostia Naval Air Station in D.C., Boling Air Force Base in D.C., U.S. Coast Guard in D.C.. Andrews Air Force Base nearby in Md.
I may have left some out, it’s been 54 years since I was stationed there.
Plus I believe D.C. has it’s own Air/Land/Sea National Guard troops and it’s own armory. Hope this helps
Eh, because a presidential election was just stolen?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.