From top American generals, a rare warning to soldiers

“As soldiers, we must embody the values ​​and ideals of the country,” wrote the four-star officers who make up the General Staff in a statement to the armed forces. “Any action that attempts to disrupt the constitutional process is contrary not only to our traditions, values ​​and oath, but also to the law.”

The report is special because it was written jointly by all the chiefs generals of the US military, which is rare, Politico reports.

The Chairman of the General Staff, General Mark Milley, has been extremely diligent in recent months to abstain the military from politics, following a backlash after crossing Lafayette Square with President Donald Trump this summer when agents of the The law forcibly evicted the people who were protesting peacefully there.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, the leaders of each branch of the US military, weigh in on the insurrection on Capitol Hill in this new memo: pic.twitter.com/4tiBwgs99h

– Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) January 12, 2021

In recent weeks, concerned that Trump might try to use the military and turn the election of President-elect Joe Biden into nothing, Milley reiterated that soldiers would play no role in deciding the outcome of the election.

In a statement, the Chiefs of Staff confirmed Biden’s victory and indicated that he would take office on January 20 and become Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, “as provided in the Constitution.”

Lawmakers asked the military to investigate whether the active soldiers were involved in the assault on the Capitol and to prosecute them.

Top Pentagon generals on Tuesday condemned the assault on the Capitol by Donald Trump supporters on January 6 and told US troops it was an illegal attack on the constitutional process.

“These violent riots … were a direct attack on the United States Congress, the Capitol, and our constitutional process,” read the memorandum signed by all eight members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, including its chairman, General M. Milley.

“The right to freedom of expression and assembly does not give anyone the right to resort to violence, anti-government activities and rebellion,” the letter said, adding that members of the armed forces must uphold the constitution.

“Any action intended to disrupt the constitutional process is not only contrary to our traditions, values ​​and oath; it is against the law, ”the generals stressed.

The message came out of concerns that Trump-supporting extremists, who invaded Congress to suspend approval of Joe Biden as the country’s next president, have supporters in the military and law enforcement agencies.

Trump and his supporters refuse to acknowledge that Biden won the November 3 presidential election in good faith and with certainty.

The Pentagon sends up to 15,000. National Guard soldiers monitor Biden’s inauguration on January 20 for fear of possible further violence.

Pentagon officials were asked Monday about the possibility of activists supporting Trump in the military and National Guard.

“We do not tolerate extremists in our ranks,” said spokesman Jonathan Hoffman.

Emphasizing this, the Joint Chiefs of Staff declared that “in accordance with the constitution,” Biden will take office on January 20 “and will become our 46th Chief of Staff.”

The commander of the US force in South Korea, General Robert Abrams, reposted the statement from the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Twitter, saying that the events on Capitol Hill were “unmistakably” an “attempted rebellion.”

“If you serve in a uniform and think it is something else, I urge you [jus] sit back and read the constitution that you have promised to support and defend, ”Abrams wrote.

“In our team [jums] there is no place if you do not want to defend the constitution from all enemies, foreigners AND nationals, “he added.

US National Guard Soldiers Now Patrol Washington with Guns

U.S. National Guard soldiers stationed on the streets of Washington began patrolling with guns Tuesday night when Joe Biden’s inauguration changed, according to a photographer for the Washington-based AFP news agency.

The National Guard soldiers initially only provided logistical assistance to the Washington police, and on Monday, General Daniel Hokanson, chief of the Pentagon’s National Guard bureau, assured them that they were not allowed to carry weapons.

At the time, Hawkanson argued that allowing Royal Guard soldiers to enforce law enforcement, patrol the armed forces and, if necessary, detain people would be a “last resort” if the security situation became unmanageable. .

It’s not yet clear what changed Tuesday night, but the city’s National Guard does not comment on the situation.

Security experts have said that in recent days, extremists and supporters of President Donald Trump have been more active on social media about organizing armed marches and threats of violence in the US capital and other cities.

Pentagon January 20 will mobilize up to 15 thousand for the inauguration. National Guard soldiers because Trump and his supporters still refuse to acknowledge Biden’s victory in the election.

During January 6. An attack by D. Trump supporters on Capitol Hill killed five people. At that time, the National Guard soldiers were deployed nearby, but they were not armed and the police called them too late.

The New York Times reported that soldiers guarding the Capitol complex were allowed to carry weapons on Tuesday.