U.S. Army Secretary Says at Least 25 Domestic Terrorism Cases Opened

(Bloomberg) -- At least 25 domestic terrorism cases have been opened after Wednesday’s assault on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, a Democratic lawmaker said, citing Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy.

Representative Jason Crow, Democrat of Colorado, released a summary on Sunday of a conversation he had with McCarthy about security planning for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.

“Long guns, Molotov cocktails, explosive devices, and zip-ties were recovered, which suggests a greater disaster was narrowly averted,” said Crow, a former Ranger and veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Crow was photographed on Wednesday gripping Pennsylvania Representative Susan Wild’s arm as lawmakers took cover between rows of seats in the House chamber.

Earlier on Sunday, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser asked the Department of Homeland Security for enhanced security ahead of Biden’s inauguration ceremony following last week’s attack.

“The 59th Presidential Inauguration on January 20 will require a very different approach than previous inaugurations given the chaos, injury, and death experienced at the United States Capitol during the insurrection,” Bowser wrote in a letter to Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf posted to Bowser’s Twitter account.

A mob of pro-Trump extremists overwhelmed the U.S. Capitol Police force on Jan. 6, storming into the Capitol and forcing their way into the House and Senate chambers and lawmakers’ offices. The failure to protect the seat of American democracy was unparalleled in modern times.

Crow said law enforcement and the Department of Defense had prepared for small-bore violence, such as stabbings and fist fights, similar to those at past rallies, as well as much smaller numbers of participants.

Bowser is asking that the FBI provide daily intelligence briefings to the agencies and officers responsible for securing the event, and that the National Park Service cancel all public gathering permits from Monday through Jan. 24, and not issue new ones.

“We have made this request repeatedly since June 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and this week demonstrated the National Park Service’s willingness to approve last-minute permits and major adjustments,” she said.

Bowser also asked DHS to extend the coordination of a special event period for the same days. The initial timeline would only have covered the days just before and after inauguration.

She also recommended that Homeland Security get permission from Congress to include the Capitol and its grounds in the security perimeter. And she said she’d ask President Donald Trump to issue a pre-emergency declaration for the district to allow for further federal coordination.

“I will tell you that, given the events of last week, that this inauguration preparation has to be different than any other inauguration,” Bowser said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Crow, after his discussion with McCarthy, said he was concerned about reports that active duty and reserve members of the military may have participated in the Jan. 6 attack.

He asked McCarthy to have Army investigators review personnel who will be providing security to the inauguration to ensure they aren’t “sympathetic to domestic terrorists.” Crow said that McCarthy agreed to take additional measures.

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