It appears you can’t be trusted in the U.S. military anymore if you have Conservative beliefs.
The FBI is now vetting National Guard members in DC over their political views.
This is illegal and a disgrace to our National Guard troops.
Defense officials tell AP they fear possible inside attack at inauguration and are having National Guard troops in DC vetted. https://t.co/8CMrpw8DlK
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 18, 2021
FBI vetting the Guard: Defense officials concerned about an insider attack from service members involved in securing Wednesday's inauguration, prompting the FBI to vet all 25,000 National Guard troops coming to Washington for the event. https://t.co/hQcztnwPJ0 # via @HuffPostPol
— Frank Figliuzzi (@FrankFigliuzzi1) January 18, 2021
Of course, Fake News CNN pushes this nonsense:
.@RepCohen on his concerns w/ the National Guard securing the Inauguration: “The [National] Guard is 90 some-odd percent male; and only about 20 percent of white males voted for Biden … there are probably not more than 25% of the people there protecting us that voted for Biden” pic.twitter.com/ofQfLuCw8I
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 18, 2021
If you’re a member of the National Guard who is being vetted, you should demand an investigation into this insanity.
If you are in the National Guard and are being 'vetted' for conservative political beliefs, report it to your IG and open an investigation
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 18, 2021
Follow this advice from @JackPosobiec & me if you are in the @NationalGuard – if you are being "vetted" go to your IG now, today, and file a complaint to initiate an investigation. https://t.co/xVyObRpoP7
— Col. Rob Maness ret. 🇺🇸 (@RobManess) January 18, 2021
And it doesn’t appear any Republican lawmakers are willing to take a stand for them.
Has any elected Republican spoken out about the illegal and outrageous 'vetting' of National Guard for conservative sentiments?
This a massive violation of the civil rights of our troops.
And no one is standing up for them.
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 18, 2021
The silence is deafening!
The New York Post reported on the story:
The FBI is vetting every National Guard member stationed in the nation’s capital for Inauguration Day after concerns of a possible attack from within the ranks.
The vetting process, spurned by worries from defense officials, was confirmed by Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy in an interview with The Associated Press.
”We’re continually going through the process, and taking second, third looks at every one of the individuals assigned to this operation,” McCarthy said.
“The question is, is that all of them? Are there others? We need to be conscious of it and we need to put all of the mechanisms in place to thoroughly vet these men and women who would support any operations like this.”
Officials told the AP the FBI began screening the National Guard troops upon their arrival to Washington, D.C. over a week ago.
McCarthy said that so far no threats have been detected.
The screening of all 25,000 Guard troops is expected to be completed by Wednesday, when President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated.
From the AP:
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told The Associated Press on Sunday that officials are conscious of the potential threat, and he warned commanders to be on the lookout for any problems within their ranks as the inauguration approaches. So far, however, he and other leaders say they have seen no evidence of any threats, and officials said the vetting hadn’t flagged any issues that they were aware of.
”We’re continually going through the process, and taking second, third looks at every one of the individuals assigned to this operation,” McCarthy said in an interview after he and other military leaders went through an exhaustive, three-hour security drill in preparation for Wednesday’s inauguration. He said Guard members are also getting training on how to identify potential insider threats.
About 25,000 members of the National Guard are streaming into Washington from across the country — at least two and a half times the number for previous inaugurals. And while the military routinely reviews service members for extremist connections, the FBI screening is in addition to any previous monitoring.
Multiple officials said the process began as the first Guard troops began deploying to D.C. more than a week ago. And they said it is slated to be complete by Wednesday. Several officials discussed military planning on condition of anonymity.
“The question is, is that all of them? Are there others?” said McCarthy. “We need to be conscious of it and we need to put all of the mechanisms in place to thoroughly vet these men and women who would support any operations like this.”
In a situation like this one, FBI vetting would involve running peoples’ names through databases and watchlists maintained by the bureau to see if anything alarming comes up. That could include involvement in prior investigations or terrorism-related concerns, said David Gomez, a former FBI national security supervisor in Seattle.
Insider threats have been a persistent law enforcement priority in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. But in most cases, the threats are from homegrown insurgents radicalized by al-Qaida, the Islamic State group or similar groups. In contrast, the threats against Biden’s inauguration have been fueled by supporters of President Donald Trump, far-right militants, white supremacists and other radical groups. Many believe Trump’s baseless accusations that the election was stolen from him, a claim that has been refuted by many courts, the Justice Department and Republican officials in key battleground states.
The insurrection at the Capitol began after Trump made incendiary remarks at the Jan. 6 rally. According to McCarthy, service members from across the military were at that rally, but it’s not clear how many were there or who may have participated in the breach at the Capitol. So far only a couple of current active-duty or National Guard members have been arrested in connection with the Capitol assault, which left five people dead. The dead included a Capitol Police officer and a woman shot by police as she climbed through a window in a door near the House chamber.
Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, has been meeting with Guard troops as they arrive in D.C. and as they gather downtown. He said he believes there are good processes in place to identify any potential threats.
“If there’s any indication that any of our soldiers or airmen are expressing things that are extremist views, it’s either handed over to law enforcement or dealt with the chain of command immediately,” he said.
We’ve come to the point that anyone who believes in Conservatism is deemed an extremist and considered an insider threat in our military.
Absolutely ludicrous!
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