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Washington DC As of this weekend, the federal capital’s government zone is a military fortress, as part of security precautions for Joe Biden’s inauguration Wednesday as president of the United States.
About 25,000 National Guardsmen have been mobilized to this city – of about 700,000 residents – after the attack on the Capitol by a mob of supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, in an event that authorities described as an act of insurgency and domestic terrorism.
The military deployment currently exceeds the number of US troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. It’s 10 times bigger than Iraq and Afghanistan, where a few days ago the total between the two countries dropped to 2,500.
Rather than the town party that usually takes place around the Capitol for the inauguration of a president of the United States, access the heart of the government zone – including the Central Park (National Mall), the streets around the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court and Union Station, where the interstate train arrives, is blocked or restricted.
There are gates – some with barbed wire – around the Capitol and other government buildings. Four major bridges connecting the US capital with Northern Virginia will be closed between Tuesday and Thursday.
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, not so many security measures have been taken involving the military.
Many of the movement restrictions within the city started over the weekend.
There are streets in the Capitol Hill residential area that are not officially closed, but where police patrols control access.
Since last week, even National Guard sleeps in the Capitol. About 200 soldiers of the Puerto Rico National Guard took part in surveillance duties in the area this weekend.
The FBI receives reports
The FBI has received reports from far-right groups planning armed protests in Washington, DC and the capitals of all 50 states.
“It’s a major security threat”, Acting Washington DC Police Chief Robert Contee has indicated.
Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said on CBS that she was grateful that after the attack on Congress, the Armed Forces General Staff Council “condemned a direct attack on the United States Congress, the Capitol Building and our constitutional process. And reaffirm its commitment to the transfer of power.
“It’s an inauguration like no other…If fellow Americans stormed the Capitol with the goal of overthrowing the government, a high degree of security certainly deserves.Bowser added today in an interview with NBC, indicating that the coronavirus pandemic already brought changes in the organization of the inauguration.
The mayor said she is concerned not only about what could happen in the capital’s government zone and other states, but also residential areas of Washington DC.
It is unclear how long the US capital will be on alert after this week.
But Mayor Bowser insisted it is time to recognize that the main focus of the authorities to the threat of terrorism must be on the internal situation in the United States. The FBI has indicated that the main threat comes from far-right groups.
“I think you have to ask yourself how seriously our country is going to take domestic terrorism. I think what we saw here (on January 6) is that we didn’t take it seriously. We never thought that the so-called ‘patriots’ would try to overthrow the government and kill police officers. But that’s exactly what happened, ”said Bowser.
On Friday, Capitol Police detained a man who drove his truck through one of the city’s security checkpoints with an unregistered weapon and 500 bullets. Wesley Beeler, from the town of Front Royal, in Virginia – an hour and a half from the US capital – was also given false credentials for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
Joe Biden’s inauguration as President includes the presence of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, outgoing Vice President Michael Pence, members of Congress, justices of the United States Supreme Court, governors and diplomats.
In addition, the Senate may begin the impeachment process against President Trump as early as this week for instigating the January 6 uprising and trying to reverse the election results, an issue that will keep tensions in this country high.