investigation into the Capitol siege, still in its very early stages, has identified at least six suspects with military links out of the more than 100 people who have been taken into federal custody or the larger number still under investigation. 6, senior leaders of the 2.1 million active-duty and reserve troops have been grappling with fears that former or current service members will be found among the horde. In the days since a pro-Trump mob breached the Capitol on Jan. And, as time goes on, he said that with more education, service members will identify and report extremist activities and comments more frequently.The Pentagon is intensifying efforts to identify and combat white supremacy and other far-right extremism in its ranks as federal investigators seek to determine how many military personnel and veterans joined the violent assault on the Capitol. He said one goal of the stand-down is to make sure service members know that their military oath requires that they remain apolitical and be good stewards of society. “The answer for us is pretty simple, regardless whether they’re far right or left, if it’s an organization that is actually imposing harm, threat, destruction, criminal activity and so on, then we don’t condone that kind of behavior,” said Colón-López. His response, he said, is that it's not about a particular group, it's about the behavior. He said young troops particularly question, “why is it that you’re looking at this group but you’re not looking at this group?” 6 attack on the Capitol, and the Department of Justice says it expects to file charges against at least 100 more, stating that it will likely be one of the largest investigations and prosecutions in American history.Īs the discussions have gone on, Colón-López said troops have expressed confusion about various groups and questioned why those involved at the Capitol are different than those involved in the racial protests in Seattle, for example, in the wake of the death of George Floyd. has charged 320 people for participating in the Jan. But, he added, “there’s communication going back and forth, especially in light of 6 January, about who do we need to pay attention to and so on.” Speaking to a small number of reporters at the Pentagon, Colón-López said he is not aware of any specific coordination that has started between the Defense Department and law enforcement. Of those, as many as 33 individuals had military backgrounds, including 31 veterans and a member of the National Guard and a member of the Army Reserves, according to the Program on Extremism, which is based at George Washington University. More than 300 people have been charged so far in the riot that resulted in the deaths of five people, and at least 100 more are expected to be charged. But Pentagon leaders launched an all-out effort to root out extremism in the force after it became clear that a significant number of military veterans and some current military members were present at the January insurrection in Washington, D.C. The military has long been aware of small numbers of white supremacists and other extremists in its ranks. Lloyd Austin has been confirmed by the Senate to serve as the secretary of defense.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |