A joint warning from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday indicates widespread efforts by federal agencies to avoid a repeat of the mistakes made before Jan. 6, when officials were overtaken by a pro-Trump mob attacking Capitol. Those intelligence-sharing and planning failures have plagued several hearings over the past two months and have been the focus of criticism from legislators investigating the violent attack that killed so many people.
According to the Joint Intelligence Bulletin, the violent extremists also discussed plans to persuade thousands to travel to Washington, D.C., to take part in the March 4 conspiracy.
A source told CNN that it was mostly a nonsense talk and that no one needed to come to Washington to take action.
Some conspiracy theorists believe the former president will be inaugurated on March 4, according to a joint bulletin. Between 1793 and 1933, the inauguration often took place on or around March 4.
U.S. Capitol Police Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman told Congress early Wednesday that his department had “intelligence information” about the next few days in Congress – but said it was not “sensible” to share “law enforcement sensitive” intelligence. In public hearings or in public format.
Pitman assured legislators, however, that his department is in a position to increase security and provide information on what to expect from the National Guard and Capitol Police in the coming days.
Increase communication
An attempt has been made to communicate potential threats between federal agencies before March 4 in the way they failed to do before January 6.
Efforts to improve preparedness range from communicating with state and local officials. The DHSA on Wednesday phoned state and local law enforcement officials across the country to discuss current threats posed by local extremists, including concerns about extrem march and possible violence, according to two sources familiar with the order.
While the exact details of the call are unclear, both sources said the key message from DHS officials is that eliminating threats posed by domestic extremists requires communications and intelligence sharing between federal and state and local bodies, as well as how law enforcement officials change. . Interpret the information they receive.
In a clear indication that federal agencies are working to avoid similar communications failures, for which their arrests are being criticized after the Capitol attack, DHS officials are insisting that law enforcement should look at intelligence through the lens of whether it is recognized as a mere threat. No. Specific, “But use warnings from the DHS, FBI and other partner agencies to report decisions about their security posture, even if the information provided is less focused on a nearby attack or violence,” the sources said.
Federal officials are emphasizing that intelligence-sharing hurdles remain unprepared for the January 6 unrest, even though they were informed of possible violence just days before the attack, and further, bulletins issued by the DHS and FBI The sources said that even if the intelligence is mainly based on chat online chats or other lesser decision indicators, there is enough seriousness in communicating with the concerned agencies.
DHS’s acting intelligence chief, Melissa Smislova, confirmed on Wednesday that the DHS was “completely dissatisfied” with the results of the department’s “efforts until January”.
She told legislators that the department is re-examining how it distributes information and coordinates with partners. “We thought that’s enough and clearly it’s not.” He said.
“We’ll do better,” he added.
Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorcas has asked the department to evaluate its operational posture at the strategic and tactical level, particularly its ability to respond to potential e-recruitment situations within the capital sector, a U.S. official told CNN.
Conspiracies of election fraud
Electoral fraud and other conspiracy theories associated with the presidential transition may give little or no warning to violence, which is part of a series of intelligence products to highlight potential domestic violent extremist threats in the Washington, D.C., region. .
“The Capitol complex is as strong as the military establishment at the moment, I don’t expect any successful attack on the property,” said Brian Harrell, a former assistant secretary for structural defense at the DHS. “However, all threats should be taken seriously and an investigation should be launched against those who call for violence. We continue to see extremist groups that are provoked by misinformation and conspiracy theories quickly become the most dangerous threat to society.” . ”
U.S. In the current environment, the official said, “you can’t really underestimate the likelihood of a person or a small group of individuals participating in violence because they believe the false story of seeing online.”
The official said the false story of the stolen election still draws the attention of domestic extremists, adding that “there are also people in the domestic extremist world who are calling for acts of violence in response to this narrative.”
Although March 4 is worrying for law enforcement, it is “not a single event,” the official said; Instead, it is part of a “continuous violence” based on domestic extremist conspiracy theories.
“This is a threat that is a concern for law enforcement. And I doubt we will focus on that for months to come,” the official said.
The bulletin also noted that the Millionaire extremists “threatened to use explosives to kill as many members of Congress as possible during the next U.S. state address in protest of the Union Capitol, according to the U.K. Capital Police Chief.”
At the time, Pittman said he remained concerned about threats from known military groups for law enforcement, addressing “direct engagement with the Union of States.”
CNN’s Whitney Wild and Jim Sayutto contributed to the report.
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