Thousands of National Guard troops protecting Washington, D.C., ahead of the inauguration are preparing to detect and defend against improvised explosive devices like the ones found during the Jan. 6 Capitol protests, the National Guard confirmed Friday.
“[Major General] William J. Walker, Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard, directed that specific IED training for all personnel arriving to support the 59th Presidential Inauguration be conducted,” D.C. Guard spokesman Capt. Tinashe Machona told the Washington Examiner.
Pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails were among the explosives found by law enforcement officials on Jan. 6, when rioters breached the U.S. Capitol, killing two Capitol Police officers and forcing members of Congress into lockdown.
Angry pro-Trump protesters are again suspected of planning violence to prevent a peaceful inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, the FBI confirmed Thursday.
“We are seeing an extensive amount of concerning online chatter,” FBI chief Christopher Wray said at a briefing of Vice President Mike Pence at the Department of Homeland Security’s headquarters in Washington.
“Right now, we are tracking for potential armed protest,” he added.
Thousands of law enforcement personnel overseen by the Secret Service and backed up by up to 21,000 National Guard troops from 44 states will help prevent a repeat of Jan. 6, officials said at the briefing.
The D.C. National Guard said it is working closely with law enforcement agencies to evaluate the threats.
“When credible information on threats is received, our National Guard members are briefed to ensure they are aware of all situations,” Machona said.
Daily briefings, commander’s calls, email, text messages, and word of mouth are used, the spokesman explained.
Bradley Bowman, the senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, likened the domestic terrorism threat to al Qaeda on 9/11.
“Americans should hold those who broke the law accountable, unite around the rule of law and the Constitution, and put our country first,” the former Black Hawk helicopter pilot told the Washington Examiner.
“Those who plot violence against our capital city put themselves in the ranks of the 9/11 al Qaeda terrorists,” he added.
Intelligence failures are widely viewed as having been the cause of inadequate force protection at the Capitol. The FBI said it has 200 suspects and has made 100 arrests of individuals who are suspected of committing crimes on Jan. 6.
Roadways and subway stations were closed across the district on Friday, complicating the morning commute. Additional armed security was visible at the Pentagon Thursday, with personnel wielding submachine guns, and airlines refused to accept checked handguns on aircraft entering the capital.
The FBI aimed to articulate a stern warning for any individual who may seek to use violence in the coming week.
“We know who you are. If you’re out there, an FBI agent is coming to find you,” Wray said.
