WASHINGTON: An independent review has concluded that the Defense Department and its top leaders acted appropriately before and during the January 6 uprising at the US Capitol, despite sharp criticism from some local and congressional leaders that the military had done enough. Did not react as the protesters violated. building.
The Defense Department’s Inspector General’s Office said in a report released Wednesday that military and defense leaders did not delay or hinder the department’s response. It said the decisions made by two officers at the time, Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, were appropriate in light of the circumstances present that day and requests from DC officers and Capitol Police.
Criticism centered on the fact that it took nearly three hours for members of the District of Columbia National Guard to respond to the Capitol, with the Pentagon determining the mission, equipment and riot preparedness of civilian-troopers to defend as appropriate and necessary. has done. And get new orders approved and handed over to the commanders.
The IG’s report is one of several investigations and reviews of that tumultuous day, in which a violent mob broke down police barricades, broke into the Capitol and sought lawmakers, including then-Vice President Mike Pence, to be swiftly evicted. fell. out of harm’s way.
The Pentagon Inspector General is, by law, an independent authority that audits, evaluates and investigates Pentagon activities.
The Inspector General focused narrowly on the military response to the January 6 riots, while other investigations are looking more closely at the roles of then-President Donald Trump and his supporters, including whether they perpetrated the attack. Or planned it. Many gathered at a rally before the riot and then marched to Capitol Hill.
More than 600 individuals were arrested and charged in connection with the rebellion, with seven people killed during or after the riots, including Trump supporter Ashley Babitt, who was shot and killed while breaking into a House chamber. Went.
Jacob Chansley, the spear-carrying rioter whose horned fur hat, bare chest and face paint made him one of the more recognizable figures in the attack on the Capitol, was sentenced Wednesday to 41 months in prison. Chansley, who pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding, was among the first rioters to enter the building.
The Pentagon Inspector General found that the procedure followed by the military was appropriate, and noted that many guards were not trained in law enforcement. It described a chaotic and confusing situation and said initial reports to the Defense Department were contradictory.
The report also stated that McCarthy, the Secretary of the Army at the time, was within authority of requiring the DC Guard to prepare a mission plan before authorizing their deployment. Others questioned that decision, saying it delayed the troops’ response.
Major General William Walker, the commanding general of the D.C. Guard, told senators in March that the chief of Capitol police at the time had requested military support at 1:49 p.m. in a call with sentiments in a voice as rioters pushed toward the rioters. had started. Capital. Walker said he immediately sent the request to the military but it was not until after 5 p.m. that the Defense Department had approved it.
The IG’s report found that the defense authorities carried out the approval process correctly.
Military personnel are trained to respond to civilian emergency events, not by sending individuals into precarious positions as they become available, but by assembling and deploying a force capable of decisive operations, the report concluded. . Military doctrine requires that commanders first determine the details required, conduct a mission analysis, and then develop a thorough plan.
IG gave many suggestions. It said the department should develop specific plans for a military response to a civil unrest within the national capital region, with federal agencies requesting support. And it recommended the military train with federal and local agencies on how to better coordinate when planning large-scale programs.
It also recommended that guard personnel should be provided with reliable radio and communication equipment.
The report rejected suggestions that concerns about the optics of sending Guard forces to the Capitol while Congress was in session fueled any delay, saying McCarthy called Miller after a call with Capitol officials. Asked to approve the sending of troops within minutes. It said such concerns did not affect the Pentagon’s response.
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AP national security writer Robert Burns contributed to this report.
Disclaimer: This post has been self-published from the agency feed without modification and has not been reviewed by an editor
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