There Is A Security Threat, The Deployment Of Thousands Of The National Guard Soldiers In Washington DC Is Extended

National Guard Chief Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson (left) conversing with members in front of the Capitol Hill Building. (Twitter / @ ChiefNGB)

JAKARTA - The United States Capitol Police (USCP) has requested an extension of the deployment period for the National Guard soldiers, for the next two months in Washington DC, particularly in the Capitol Hill area.

The request was named by two US security officials, currently under a Department of Defense (Pentagon) review.

A total of 4,900 National Guard soldiers were previously scheduled to remain in Washington until March 12 after their initial deployment was extended.

In part, this is due to concerns about potential violence stemming from the news circulating online following President Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers, however, have pushed defense officials and the USCP to detail threats justifying keeping thousands of guards in the nation's capital and explaining the mission they carry out.

This request comes as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI warns against threats posed by domestic extremists, including concerns about potential violence around March 4 onwards. The Associated Press reported on a request to extend the National Guard deployment for an additional two months.

National Guard in front of Capitol Hill. (Twitter / ChiefNGB)

DHS officials stressed that law enforcement should not look at intelligence solely through the lens of whether a threat qualifies as credible and specific.

"But use the warnings coming from DHS, the FBI, and other partner agencies to inform decisions about their security posture. Even if the information provided does not lead to attacks or violence that will occur", the two officials told CNN.

The request for 4,900 National Guard soldiers to stay in Washington until March 12 was made by the USCP. The defense official told lawmakers last month. The Pentagon is working with relevant law enforcement agencies to determine what an appropriate troop presence will look like now after the threat landscape has changed in the weeks since Biden's inauguration.

"The numbers are based on the different missions they want, National Guard members will support, response forces, perimeter, security, such mission sets. We are working with them. As you know, the current request ends on March 12. We are trying. to determine with them the level of security they need from the National Guard given that things have changed", Pentagon official Robert Salesses said at the time.

"We work very closely with the FBI, Secret Service, and others as well as the Capitol Police to try to determine what they believe to be a threat, and then look at what they believe the National Guard needs or the type of mission pool. That they need support, we work. very close to them trying to determine what it is. Obviously, 4900 is a very large number on Capitol Hill", he added.

Regarding this, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, was reluctant to comment further. She only said that Capitol Hill Riot Task Force Chairman General Russel Honore already had a draft review of the security of the Capitol and would brief parliament immediately.

"That's a question for them, security decisions are made by the security leadership here and we will see what is asked. But in that case, what we need, we have to have what we need, when we need it, and in the numbers we need, but it's a security decision", said Nancy Pelosi.