TUESDAY PDB – Despite the Democrats' spurious accusations that former President Donald Trump somehow dithered or even hindered the deployment of the Guard on January 6, it's become clearer that they were wrong.
And the opposite is true.
More than three years after the deadly riot, a clearer picture is emerging of one of its enduring mysteries: What caused the hours-long delay in deploying the D.C. National Guard, whose headquarters are less than two miles away, to the Capitol.
‘You're a go': How miscues and confusion delayed the National Guard on Jan. 6. New testimony underscores how a critical miscommunication between top military officials contributed to a four-hour delay in deploying troops to help restore order on January 6, 2021.
This NYT piece still tries desperately to blame Trump – but read carefully.
As I've said from day one, the military had adopted a particularly cautious approach to deploying the Guard, with several top commanders openly worried about the “optics” of such a mobilization and approaching the situation as akin to sending troops into an overseas war zone.
This, in large part because of anti-Trumper concerns that Trump could misuse the Guard.
And this can be traced back to the summer of 2020, when the Department of Defense came under harsh criticism from Democrats, the media and the left for its response to the civil unrest by leftist BLM rioters, including for flying D.C. guard helicopters over the protests.
As a result, just days before the Jan. 6 riot, the Pentagon had removed the D.C. Guard commander, General William Walker's authority to quickly deploy his troops without permission from Ryan D. McCarthy, the Army secretary.
In a pair of memos on Jan. 4 and Jan. 5, 2021, the deployment of a rapid-reaction force was allowed “only as a last resort.”
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of today's other top defense stories from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
NATIONAL SECURITY
Too few planners understand what special operators can do today. No less than in yesterday's era of counterterrorism, SOF are indispensable in today's great power competition.
Could an enemy hijack your GPS signal? Only if you don't defend it. An expert on ‘GPS spoofing' discusses how the threat impacts the military.
Austin hospitalization drama sparks House move to tighten notification requirements for national security officials. National security-related executive branch officials would have to notify the president and Congress no more than 24 hours after they are incapacitated by an emergency medical issue under a bill approved by the House.
Space Force gets vote on IC Commercial Space Council. The status change should give the Space Force more weight in the debate about how to share acquisition authority for commercial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
HOMELAND SECURITY
MAKE IT HAPPEN ANYWAY – A militarized immigrant roundup won't work the way Trump says. Among the reasons: the Eisenhower administration paired its roundup with a massive guest-worker program that gave Mexican workers legal status.
POLITICS
Comparisons between 1968 and 2024 are all the rage. They're also wrong. Vietnam was one of the pre-eminent issues on the minds of American voters. The war in Gaza doesn't even crack the top 10.
NASCAR racer unveils military-themed paint scheme. Bubba Wallace talks about the inspirations behind a new paint scheme for his car honoring veterans of different eras.
US POWER OVERSEAS
US, Philippine forces stage combat drills near strategic Bashi Channel. U.S. Marines and their Filipino counterparts darted out of Black Hawk helicopters during combat drills Monday in the Philippines' northernmost island town along the strategic Bashi Channel off southern Taiwan — a flashpoint between Washington and Beijing.
Marines' new amphibious combat vehicle makes operational debut in annual Philippines exercise. The ACV debuted in the Philippines as part of its first overseas deployment after more than a year-and-a-half of limited operations.
IRAN THREAT
USS Carney leaves the Mediterranean Sea, enters the Atlantic Ocean. The destroyer Carney transited the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Atlantic Ocean last week, the latest move in a deployment that saw the warship's sailors battling Houthi rebel attacks in the Middle East for nearly six months.
CHINA THREAT
BECAUSE THE THREAT IS REAL – How DC became obsessed with a potential 2027 Chinese invasion of Taiwan. At a summit near San Francisco in November, the leaders of America and China turned to the biggest threat to their relationship.
China has a lot more missiles — with US warships and bases in its sights. American warships and bases in the Pacific are within reach of an increasingly worrying threat, a daunting missile force unlike any the US has faced in combat before.
America's war machine runs on rare-Earth magnets. China owns that market. U.S. defense needs are pushing a revival effort after decades of deindustrialization.
NGA wants industry's help monitoring illegal activity in Indo-Pacific. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is seeking what it calls innovative means of finding, tracking and cataloging illicit activity in China's backyard.
Australia accuses China of unsafe behavior when fighter released flares in a helicopter's path. His, over international waters.
One defense strategy, two drastically different budgets. Why the US Air Force and Navy created contrasting spending plans to prepare for conflict with China.
UK MoD data breach: China suspected of hacking armed forces payroll.
Xi bristles at criticism of China over the war in Ukraine. Talks in Paris with President Macron produced a call for an “Olympics truce” this summer but no concrete progress on Beijing putting pressure on Russia.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Russia warns Britain and plans nuclear drills over the West's possible deepening role in Ukraine. Russia on Monday threatened to strike British military facilities and said it would hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons amid comments by senior Western officials about possibly deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine, EU defense firms discuss setting up local production. More than 100 Ukrainian and European defense firms gathered in Brussels on Monday to discuss direct investment in Ukraine's defense industry as well as setting up local production to help the country fight off Russia's invasion.
IDIOT – US soldier arrested in Russia; Army officials confirm. He is being held by Russian authorities on charges of criminal misconduct.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Give France credit for its strategic change. After openly discussing the potential of sending NATO troops to Ukraine recently, French President Emmanuel Macron is now being described as “the hawk” in some European capitals. His statements underscore the significant changes in French strategic thinking over the last two years.
US MILITARY
Marine Corps set to field resupply drones to all logistics battalions by 2028. Battalions will get from three to six drones.
Navy hopes to have beleaguered USS Boxer deploy this summer after fixes. The amphibious assault ship was forced back to port due to a major breakdown just days after starting her deployment.
Meet the first ‘Space Cowboys': 3 guardians complete arduous Army Cavalry Spur Ride. After being covered in dust, sweat, dirt and blood, three officers emerged from the West Texas desert last week and were given their spurs and Stetson cowboy hats by the Army, becoming the first ever “space cowboys.”
Soldier shot during Special Forces training event after live ammo mixed in with blanks. All live weapon training for the Army's Special Forces units, and most of the elements that support them, will be shut down for much of this week due to a safety stand-down.
This video flies through the Army's first small drone obstacle course. Soldiers at Fort Moore are competing in the Army's first small drone competition with a wild obstacle course modeled off tactics and terrain of the war in Ukraine and threats American troops now face in the Middle East.
Eyeing the storm: Air Force's ‘Hurricane Hunters' are busier than ever. About 130 miles off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey, Master Sgt. Shawn Hogue grabs a tube from above his computer station in the belly of a WC-130J “Weatherbird” and launches it through a chute.
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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