The storming of the Capitol should have been avoided
Evidence of clear and present dangers were surfacing weeks before and days leading up to the siege in Washington DC, says Marco Vicenzino
As Joseph R Biden, Jr, was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States, the largest military presence in the history of the nation’s capital oversaw the transition of power. This was inevitably attributed to the disastrous storming of Capitol Hill, the heart of US legislative power, on 6 January. This attack clearly marked the most egregious, and embarrassing, security failure in American history, which was tragically carried out by its own citizens.
Fiercely pursuing, to the fullest extent of the law, the malfeasance of those who caused it must be matched with equal, if not greater, effort to pursue the misfeasance of those who failed to prevent it. This must involve all those within the chain of command – including any elected officials regardless of political or ideological affiliation–with any form of authority who presided over the fiascoand may bear responsibility, either directly or indirectly. Any claim, or allusion, to ignorance is no defecse to accountability.
The bottom line is that the 6 January tragedy, and the accompanying loss of life, was avoid able. evidence of clear and present dangers were surfacing weeks before and days leading up to the siege. Authorities were clearly warned in advance and aware of imminent threats. Proper preparation and basic security measures could have contained the onslaught.
The common refrain about 9/11 is that America’s security services failed to connect the scattered dots. In the days leading up to 6 January, the dots were clearly visible and connected pointing to impendingw ashing ton,dc. fundamentally, the failure of authorities to pursue actionable intelligence resulted in a systemic security breakdown. in the absence of previously requested support, Capitol Hill police folded like a deck of cards in the face of an overwhelming onslaught.
The initial media narrative immediately following 6 January pointed to a whipped up mob “spontaneously” storming Capitol Hill. Emerging evidence points to premeditated elements exploiting a volatile opportunity with criminal intent to destabilise and inflict maximum damage.
Deep polarisation has been the unfortunate reality of American political life for more than a generation. It is now embarking on a new decade and will persist for the foreseeable future, and not be resolved anytime soon.
At home, america remains divided with an equally split Senate, a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives with the narrow est majority of any party since the end of the Second World War, and anewp residententering the white house by the slimmest of constitutional margins. His legitimacy as the new chief executive is still doubted by a sizable segment of the eligible electorate.
In the meantime, lingering uncertainty on the global landscape increasingly expands the geopolitical void which is being filled by other powers, often with nefarious agendas designed to undermine much of the free world.
As 2021 unfolds and we gradually emerge from the covid-19s tate of suspended animation, post-pandemic realities will provide the world with a rude awakening.