Head Of The D.C. National Guard Says It Took Three And A Half Hours For The Pentagon To Approve Sending Forces To Protect The Capital Building On January 6

 

Daily Mail: Pentagon took 3 hours and 19 minutes to respond to 'frantic' request to dispatch National Guard forces to defend the Capitol after Jan. 6th breach, commanding D.C. general tells senators 

 * The Acting Defense Secretary ultimately approved the forces at 5:08 pm 

 * Former Capitol Police chief Sund made 'frantic' call at 1:49 pm 

 * He is testifying at a Senate Homeland Security and Rules Committee hearing on the January 6th Capitol riot 

 * Army secretary 'withheld' authority for 'quick reaction force' in advance * Walker said he found it 'unusual' the Army Secretary wanted a 'concept of operation' for the reaction force 

 * Walker said dispatching 155 Guard forces sooner 'could have made a difference'

 * Guardsmen waited on buses at D.C. Armory while authorization came

 * Army Secretary's approval required to move three Guardsmen to a traffic stop one block away 

 * Also gap of more than 30 minutes after Defense Sec. decided to support the Capitol and when the head of the Guard was informed 

The head of the D.C. National Guard told lawmakers Wednesday that it took more than three hours for the Pentagon to approve sending forces to shore up defenses following the breach of the Capitol by a MAGA mob Jan. 6th. 

Commanding General William Walker testified Wednesday that he got a 'frantic call' from the former chief of U.S. Capitol Police, Steven Sund, following the breach. But approval was not immediately forthcoming. 

Senior military officials raised objections; Guard forces who were already on stand-by were not immediately dispatched; and when the Secretary of Defense finally gave the green light there was a delay of more than 30 minutes before Walker was even told. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The Chairman of the Joint chiefs has a different opinion .... Military reaction was ‘sprint speed,’ top officer says as Pentagon takes heat for Capitol riot response (Washington Post). More here .... Joint Chiefs chairman: Military response on Jan. 6 was 'super fast' (The Hill). 

What's my take.

Considering the negative reaction from many Democrats and the media when the military was deployed to protect the White House during the unrest over the summer of 2020, there is some truth to this .... DC National Guard head says Army generals advised against soldiers to Capitol during riot due to optics (FOX News). 

Even the DC Guard chief agrees .... DC Guard chief agrees 'optics' slowed deployment during Capitol riot (The Hill). 

But even if the optics are terrible, these troops should have been deployed immediately. This three hour delay is inexcusable. 

And as for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Milley's remarks that the Pentagon's response was "super-fast". Reports that the Biden administration want to replace the Chairman have been circulating around for the past month. I can now easily see him being asked to "retire early" later this year. 

 More News On The Head Of The D.C. National Guard Saying It Took Three And A Half Hours For The Pentagon To Approve Sending Forces To Protect The Capital Building On January 6 

General: Pentagon hesitated on sending Guard to Capitol riot -- AP

DC National Guard commander says 'unusual' Pentagon restrictions slowed response to Capitol riot -- CNN 

DC Guard chief: Approval to deploy on Jan. 6 took more than 3 hours -- The Hill 

DOD Took Hours To Approve National Guard Request During Capitol Riot, Commander Says -- NPR 

'Seconds mattered' in Capitol riot: D.C. Guard chief testifies about having to wait to send troops -- L.A. Times 

Capitol riot probe zeroes in on Pentagon delay in sending troops -- Politico

Former U.S. Homeland Security Official Reveals He Was ‘Anonymous’

 

New York Times: Miles Taylor, a Former Homeland Security Official, Reveals He Was ‘Anonymous’

Mr. Taylor, whose criticisms of President Trump in a New York Times Op-Ed article and subsequent book roiled Washington and infuriated Mr. Trump, resigned from the administration last year and endorsed Joe Biden this summer. 

WASHINGTON — Miles Taylor, the former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, was the anonymous author of The New York Times Op-Ed article in 2018 whose description of President Trump as “impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective” roiled Washington and set off a hunt for his identity, Mr. Taylor confirmed Wednesday. 

Mr. Taylor was also the anonymous author of “A Warning,” a book he wrote the following year that described the president as an “undisciplined” and “amoral” leader whose abuse of power threatened the foundations of American democracy. He acknowledged that he was the author of both the book and the opinion article in an interview and in a three-page statement he posted online. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: He wants his 15 minutes of fame.

 More News On A Former U.S. Homeland Security Official Revealing He Was ‘Anonymous’

Former DHS official says he wrote ‘Anonymous’ Trump critique -- AP 

Ex-Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor outs HIMSELF as 'Anonymous' author of 2018 NY Times tell-all op-ed about Donald Trump - who tweets 'I don't know him!' (then says he should be 'prosecuted' anyway) -- Daily Mail 

Former U.S. Homeland Security official says he wrote anonymous op-ed on Trump -- Reuters 

Former Homeland Security official reveals himself as ‘Anonymous’ Trump critic -- France 24 'Anonymous' Trump administration critic identifies himself -- BBC 

Anonymous Trump critic revealed to be ex-homeland security chief of staff -- The Guardian 'Anonymous' anti-Trump official revealed as CNN pundit Miles Taylor, who lied about writing NYT op-ed -- FOX News 

The White House is rolling its eyes at the big 'Anonymous' reveal -- The Week 

Trump says ex-staffer who penned 'Anonymous' op-ed should be 'prosecuted' -- The Hill

This Is Why Washington's Air Defense NEtwork Was Activated Early Last Week

Fully armed and ready to go F-16s sit engines running at Andrews AFB. The LITENING targeting pod is used for long-range air-to-air visual identification of targets. USAF

Warzone/The Drive: Here Is What Really Happened With That Mysterious Washington D.C. Air Defense Scare

There have been confusing reports of mysterious blobs in the sky and mistaken birds flocks. This is exactly what was detected and what wasn't and why.

At around 8:30am on November 26th, what appeared to be a potential violation of the tightly controlled airspace ringing Washington D.C. occurred, sparking off a course of events that drew national attention. The White House and the Capitol went into lockdown as a Coast Guard MH-65, callsign Blackjack, scrambled to intercept the possible intruder and F-16s were sent to runway alert at Andrews AFB, prepared to rocket into the sky if needed at a moment's notice. Confusion followed as to what exactly was detected and why. Now, according to officials with direct knowledge of the events, here is what actually occurred.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It was an anomaly that quickly escalated into an alert that activated the city's defense systems. And while the operators were convinced that this was just a glitch, the chain of command will not take a chance.

Yesterday's Washington D.C. Air Alert Revealed A Missile Battery

Spotted during the lockdown: a missile battery in position atop a building across the street from the White House pic.twitter.com/IkmjWby2FI

— Sara Cook (@saraecook) November 26, 2019

Popular Mechanics: Yesterday's Washington D.C. Air Alert Revealed a Secret Missile Battery

The Avenger missile system protects the White House from air attack.

* A mysterious radar track yesterday prompted Washington D.C. to go on alert.
* A search of the area turned up nothing.
* A reporter for CBS News noticed a missile launcher during the alert.

A mysterious radar return prompted yesterday that an unauthorized aircraft was flying over the restricted airspace of Washington D.C. A search of the area reportedly turned up nothing, but one reporter located in the city did notice something: a surface to air missile system across the street from the White House.

At approximately 8:30am local time, a “track of interest” on a radar at the Capitol Police command center was detected over Washington D.C. The track was described as a “slow moving blob.”

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I am sure there is a lot of other military equipment protecting the White House and Congress that we are not even aware of.

Yesterday's Washigton D.C. 'Lockdown' Is Still A Mystery

Spotted during the lockdown: a missile battery in position atop a building across the street from the White House pic.twitter.com/IkmjWby2FI

— Sara Cook (@saraecook) November 26, 2019

Warzone/The Drive: Mysterious Airspace Violation That Triggered D.C. Lockdowns Highlights Air Defense Challenges

Reports now say a flock of birds, a balloon, or something else, may have been the culprit, but the response to it was telling, regardless.

Something of a mystery has emerged after a brief lockdown of the White House and U.S. Capitol due to an alleged violation of the heavily restricted airspace over Washington, D.C. this morning. Reports now indicate that a flock of birds, a weather balloon, or something else besides a plane or helicopter, appears to have triggered the alert, which sent fighter jets and helicopters scrambling into the air. Whatever the case, the incident underscores the very real challenges involved in protecting the skies above the nation's capital, and short-range air defense, in general, especially as novel threats, such as increasingly capable small unmanned aircraft, continue to emerge and evolve.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Something spooked the Secret Service.

Study: Washington D.C. Is The Psychopath Capital of America

Politico: Washington, D.C.: the Psychopath Capital of America

A new study ranks each state, plus D.C., by their psychopathic tendencies. The race for first? It isn’t even close.

As Washington’s shock over winning the Stanley Cup demonstrates, the nation’s capital isn’t used to being first in anything. As a city, it’s not the oldest, nor the biggest, nor the richest, and its sports teams are notoriously snakebitten. But finally, the capital has a claim to No. 1—and unfortunately, it’s not just in hockey.

Ryan Murphy, an economist at Southern Methodist University, recently published a working paper in which he ranked each of the states by the predominance of—there’s no nice way to put it—psychopaths. The winner? Washington in a walk. In fact, the capital scored higher on Murphy’s scale than the next two runners-up combined.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Why am I not surprised. The study is here.

Huge Terror Drill Exercise Planned For Washington DC On Wednesday

The Hill: 'Full-scale' terror attack drill planned for DC area on Wednesday

Officials in the Washington, D.C. area will conduct a “full-scale” drill on Wednesday to train for possible terrorist attacks.

The drill will occur across six sites in D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland and will include hundreds of volunteer actors, emergency medical personnel, police and fire officials.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments announced the exercise in a press release on Tuesday.

Read more ....

More News On Tomorrow's Huge Terror Drill Exercise In Washington DC

DC plans 'full-scale' terror attack drill, amid NK tensions -- FOX News
D.C. region to host ‘full-scale’ counterterrorism drill Wednesday -- Washington Times
Terrorism in America: US Capital to Hold Terror Attack Drill with Full-Scale Exercise -- Newsweek
'Full scale' terror-attack drill to take place in Washington DC -- International Business Times
Washington D.C. To Hold Massive "Coordinated Terror Attack" Drill This Wednesday -- Zero Hedge

Rogue IT Staff Compromised The Computer Networks Belonging To U.S. House Intelligence And Foreign Affairs Committee Members

Imran Awan with Bill Clinton / Facebook

Daily Caller: EXCLUSIVE: House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs Committee Members Compromised By Rogue IT Staff

Three brothers who managed office information technology for members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and other lawmakers were abruptly relieved of their duties on suspicion that they accessed congressional computers without permission.

Brothers Abid, Imran, and Jamal Awan were barred from computer networks at the House of Representatives Thursday, The Daily Caller News Foundation Investigative Group has learned.

Three members of the intelligence panel and five members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs were among the dozens of members who employed the suspects on a shared basis. The two committees deal with many of the nation’s most sensitive issues and documents, including those related to the war on terrorism.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: After accusing the Russians of hacking the Democrat Party servers .... we now have this story making the rounds?!?!?!?! But the little tidbit of information that caught my eye was the following ....

.... Jamal, who public records suggest is only 22 years old and first began working in the House when he was 20, was paid nearly $160,000 a year, or three times the average House IT staff salary, according to InsideGov, which tracks congressional salaries. Abid was paid $161,000 and Imran $165,000.

Three brothers getting paid over $160,000 EACH for their work .... and they still went about accessing restricted computers and violating the terms of their contract. WTF!?!?!?! Who are these people? Who hired them? And who made it OK for them to earn all of this money. Please .... can someone tell me that this is fake news.

Bernie Sanders And Ted Cruz Respond On Today's Terror Attacks In Brussels

Washington Post: Cruz criticizes Obama and Trump in wake of Brussels attack

Sen. Ted Cruz slammed President Obama for “going to baseball games with the Castros” in Cuba and Donald Trump for questioning the need for the U.S. alliance with NATO in the wake of Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Brussels.

“While our friends and allies are attacked by radical Islamic terrorists, President Obama is spending his time going to baseball games with the Castros and standing at a press conference with Raul Castro as a prop, while Castro denies there are any political prisoners in Cuba,” Cruz told reporters in Washington.

The Republican presidential hopeful also said Trump, a rival for the GOP nomination, said he would withdraw the United States from NATO. (Trump did not say the United States should withdraw from NATO, but he questioned U.S. involvement in the organization and said it may need to be diminished in the future in an interview with The Washington Post editorial board.)

Read more ....

TPM: Sanders On Brussels Attacks: 'This Type Of Barbarism' Cannot Continue

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) issued a reaction to the deadly attacks in Brussels on Tuesday, saying they were a "brutal reminder" of the work still needed to stop the Islamic State terror group.

The Sanders campaign offered its "deepest condolences" to families and victims of "another cowardly attempt to terrorize innocent civilians."

"We stand with our European allies to offer any necessary assistance in these difficult times," the statement continued. "Today's attack is a brutal reminder that the international community must come together to destroy ISIL. This type of barbarism cannot be allowed to continue."

Read more ....

Multiple Weapons Were Aimed At The Gyrocoper Pilot When He Violated Washington DC Airspace Last Week

CBS: "Multiple weapons" were aimed at gyrocopter pilot

WASHINGTON -- House Oversight Committee Chair Jason Chaffetz had harsh words on Wednesday for postman Doug Hughes, who flew a gyrocopter through restricted airspace last week and landed it on the Capitol lawn.

"He is lucky to be alive," said Chaffetz, "he should have been blown out of the air."

But CBS News' Mark Albert reports Rep. Chaffetz reserved even tougher language for NORAD and the FAA -- which are responsible for monitoring airspace -- including the nation's most restricted patch of sky over Washington D.C.

"They chose not to brief us today and that's the heart of the question that we will be asking next Wednesday," he said. The Capitol Police also declined to attend the briefing on Wednesday, adding to Chaffetz and other lawmakers' frustration.

WNU Editor: Something tells me that the next gyro-copter pilot who pulls such a stunt will not be so fortunate.