Pentagon weighs keeping on National Guard at US Capitol

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is considering extending the stay of National Guard troops brought in to beef up security at the US Capitol after the assault by supporters of Donald Trump, officials said on late on Friday.

"We are in receipt of a formal request from the Capitol Police for continued National Guard assistance at the Capitol complex," Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said.

He told reporters that the time frame in question was the "next couple of months".

Kirby did not say what threat this period might correspond to, but Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman last month reported threats from extremist groups to try to keep President Joe Biden from delivering his State of the Union speech.

The date of this address by the US president to both houses of Congress has not been announced.

The Capitol has been under tight security since January 6, when thousands of supporters of Trump gathered outside the US Congress after a speech by the Republican billionaire, then still president, who urged them to stop lawmakers meeting inside from certifying Biden’s election win.

Several hundred of them stormed the building, causing chaos and bloodshed. Five people, including a Capitol policeman, died.

More than 270 people are being prosecuted for their participation in this attack.

Since then, barriers have been erected to protect the area surrounding the Capitol and some 5,000 National Guard soldiers remain mobilized in support of the police, but their mission is due to end on March 12.

Asked about the seriousness of the threat against the Capitol, while rumours of potential trouble for Thursday did not materialize, the spokesman for the Capitol stressed that "things have changed since January 6", Kirby said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "believes that our lawmakers absolutely deserve a safe and secure environment in which to work.

And so we have to look at the capabilities there, on the Capitol complex, and ask ourselves if there are capabilities we can add that the Capitol Police don’t have right now," Kirby said.Acting Police Chief Yogananda Pittman asked the Department of Defence to continue to provide support in the Capitol, where 5,200 guardsmen are currently deployed.

The troops remained in the weeks following the Jan 6 insurrection attempt at the Capitol building.

They were expected to leave the city March 12, a Capitol Police statement said, but are needed in light of current intelligence. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and US Army officials would have to approve.

"We have obtained intelligence that shows a possible plot to breach the Capitol by an identified militia group on Thursday," a March 3 statement read.

"We have already made significant security upgrades to include establishing a physical structure and increasing manpower to ensure the protection of Congress, the public and our police officers."

The House of Representatives cancelled its Thursday session after authorities learned about the threat, but the Senate met to discuss a Covid-19 aid bill, NPR reported. Far-right conspiracy theorists believed former President Donald Trump would return to power Thursday because until 1933, presidents were inaugurated on March 4.

"The USCP is extremely grateful for the Department of Defence and the National Guard support provided," a Capitol Police statement read.

"We understand the Guard has a tremendous service need back home responding to the Covid-19 pandemic."

The riots in the Capitol left five people dead, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died the following day from his injuries sustained in the line of duty.

More than 250 people have been charged since authorities secured the Capitol, including 20 members of the far-right group the Proud Boys.