US Department Of Security Inspects 25,000 Troops, Fearing An Attack At Joe Biden's Inauguration Ceremony
JAKARTA - Officials of the United States Department of Defense (US) fear that there will be attacks by intruders from their own members tasked with securing the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. For that they tasked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to inspect the 25,000 national security forces who had come to Washington to guard the event.
The sweeping inspections reflect the extraordinary security concerns that threaten Washington in the wake of the January 6 uprising at the US Capitol by supporters of US President Donald Trump. The FBI is concerned that the person assigned to protect the inauguration procession could pose a threat to the president and important guests who will attend.
Meanwhile, Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy told The Associated Press last Sunday officials were aware of the potential threat. He also reminded the commanders to be aware of any problems that might occur in their ranks when the inauguration was held in two days. However, so far he and other leaders said they saw no evidence of a threat.
"We're continuing the process, and double-checking up to three times on each individual assigned to this operation," McCarthy said. He explained that security forces had received training on how to identify potential intruders.
About 25,000 members of national security flock to Washington from across the country. The number is up to two and a half times from the deployment of security forces in the previous inauguration, as quoted by HuffPost.
Officials say the inspections have been carried out since security forces were first deployed to Washington more than a week ago. They also said the process was scheduled to finish on Wednesday.
"The question is, is that all the examinations? Is there anything you missed?" said McCarthy. "We need to be aware of it and need to put in place all mechanisms to thoroughly examine the men and women who will support operations like this."
In a situation like this, the FBI would track these people through a database and watchlist maintained by the bureau. The move includes checking whether there was involvement in previous investigations or issues related to terrorism, said David Gomez, a former FBI national security monitor in Seattle.
Insider threats have been a continuing law enforcement priority in the years following the September 11, 2001 attacks. Previously, threats typically came from local rebels radicalized by al-Qaeda, the Islamic State group or similar groups.
This time, however, the threat to Biden's inauguration was sparked by Trump supporters, far-right militants, white supremacists and other radical groups. Many people believe Trump's baseless accusations that the election was rigged. Yet these claims have been widely debunked in trials, the Ministry of Justice, and Republican officials themselves in countries where votes are tightly contested.