Former Pentagon chief: Sending troops to Capitol riot would have fanned fears of military coup
By Michael Balsamo and Eric Tucker
Published
Timeline of the riot at the US Capitol on Jan. 6
What started as a congressional and democratic exercise in the peaceful transfer of power, devolved into death, destruction and chaos.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump s acting defense secretary during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots plans to tell Congress that he was concerned in the days before the insurrection that sending troops to the building would fan fears of a military coup and could cause a repeat of the deadly Kent State shootings, according to a copy of prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press.
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The 50 former intelligence officials who signed a letter suggesting Russia was involved with the Hunter Biden laptop saga are now largely silent about why they weighed in on the story weeks before the 2020 presidential election.
Despite offering no proof, Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, along with many in the media, dismissed the October laptop story as being part of a Russian disinformation operation. Concerns about Hunter Biden gained broader attention in late 2020 after multiple outlets reported that he is being federally investigated in connection with his taxes and potentially related to his overseas business with China and other countries.
Defence News | Russian spy team left traces that bolstered CIA s bounty judgment defencenews.in - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from defencenews.in Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Opinions | A 9/11 Commission-style report wouldn’t work for the Jan. 6 riot John Sipher Pro-Trump rioters breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Since then, law enforcement officials have been seeking individuals who they believe were part of the attempted insurrection. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty Images) When the Senate acquitted former president Donald Trump of inciting insurrection, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called for “an outside, independent 9/11-type Commission” to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Republican lawmakers also signaled support for an independent panel. “We need a 9/11 Commission to find out what happened and make sure it never happens again,” Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said at the time. On Wednesday, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) wrote in The Washington Post that, separate from the ongoing criminal investigations, “we must support a parallel bipartisan review by a commission with subpoena powe
Russian Spy Team Left Traces That Bolstered C.I.A.âs Bounty Judgment
But the U.S. lacked âevidence that the Kremlin directed this operation,â newly declassified information about the Russian team showed.
The C.I.A. assessed last year that a Russian military intelligence agency had covertly offered bounties to Afghan militants to attack and kill American and coalition troops.Credit.Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images
May 7, 2021, 3:00 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON â In early 2020, members of a Taliban-linked criminal network in Afghanistan detained in raids told interrogators that they had heard that Russians were offering money to reward killings of American and coalition troops.