Three defense officials confirmed that Austin had reviewed the lower option to detain less than 1,000 troops, but ultimately decided to give Capitol police the full amount of troops they asked for. “There was a discussion ‘about approving less than 1,000 troops, one defense official told CNN. The Army oversees the DC National Guard and has played a leading role in deploying guard forces.
The Pentagon says the police’s request is approved that the nearly 2,300 troops remain on duty because the Capitol police have successfully found the case that they do not have enough manpower and ‘competence’ to ensure security after the January 6 uprising not, and constantly concerned about safety.
But that comes because the Pentagon faced political criticism that it could not quickly provide the national military that day and amid growing opposition to the current security position on Capitol Hill.
“The secretary is not driven by political pressure and he is not driven by the specific events on January 6, which are currently being investigated anyway. He investigated it analytically, if his staff had to investigate it analytically for what was needed. “The capacity gap we can fill and then how to do it best,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters this week.
While the expansion is approved, the number of Guard troops in Washington will be significantly reduced and thousands are expected to return to their homelands. A National Guard official confirmed to CNN on Friday that all 1,000 National Guard guards are expected to be out of DC starting next week.
Pentagon officials have stressed that they now want the police force to make improvements to provide more manpower and security so that security forces can be withdrawn. “We want to see the Capitol police make progress,” a second defense official told CNN. In a March 9 statement approving the extended deployment, the Pentagon said: “DOD officials will work with U.S. Capitol Police to increasingly reduce the National Guard’s footprint as circumstances allow.”
Lawmakers unhappy
Meanwhile, members of Congress have asked for clarity from the US Capitol police and the Pentagon as to why the deployment of the guard troops has been extended until May this week, but according to a source known with the outreach, no clear explanation is given .
The current notion, the source told CNN, is that U.S. Capitol police do not have the personnel to provide security after Jan. 6, even with a reduced threat, so the national guard is bridging the gap.
The timeline for the appointment of additional USCP officers, something also recommended by Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, who conducted an independent investigation into the safety of Capitol, is unclear, but it will inevitably take months.
It is not uncommon for there to be internal disagreements within the Pentagon about how many troops are needed for a particular mission. But in this case, it appears that Austin dominated the views of both the military and the national guard. The guard felt the tension in the deployment for months as thousands of troops were mobilized across the country to help the pandemic. “The national guard has never been mobilized at this level in the history of the guard,” said spokeswoman Traci O’Grady Walsh.
Over the next few days, troop levels are likely to be in check as the Pentagon seeks to settle the obligations of governors across the country on how many troops it will commit to the expanded operation. If governors who want to participate are unable to get enough vigilantes to volunteer, they could face ordering involuntary calls, officials say.
The cost of the mission is now more than $ 500 million
“The national guard estimates the cost of extending the mission from March to May at $ 111 million,” a guard official told CNN. The original cost estimate for operations from January to March was revised from $ 482.8 million to $ 410 million. The new estimated cost estimate for the entire mission is $ 521 million. ‘
There are constant dual concerns on Capitol Hill about the expanded Guard deployment. “We are deeply concerned about the current level of security around the US Capitol. More than two months after the attack on January 6, the seat of our country’s democracy remains strongly protected by guards and is surrounded by a perimeter,” the representatives Adam Smith said. (D-Wash.) And Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), Chairman and rank member of the House Committee on Armed Services Thursday in a statement.
“As the U.S. Capitol continues to expand its staff capacity, there is no doubt that some support from the National Guard should remain in the National Capital to respond to credible threats against the Capitol. The current security stance is however, not justified at this time. ‘
The top Senate Republicans in five key committees reflected sentiment in a joint statement Friday, asking the Capitol police to justify the decision to extend the guard’s deployment.
“The Capitol police have repeatedly failed to provide specific, credible threat information to adequately justify the current Capitol security position, which remains disproportionate to the available intelligence,” Sens said. Written and added by Jim Inhofe, Roy Blunt, Rob Portman, Marco Rubio and Richard Shelby. that they “are also concerned about numerous recent decisions taken by the Capitol Police leadership regarding Capitol security.”