Military leaders: Capitol riot was ‘insurrection’
Troops told to embody values, ideals of nation
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon’s senior military leadership on Tuesday branded the riot Jan. 6 at the Capitol “sedition and insurrection” and admonished troops to heed their charge to protect and defend the Constitution “against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
The extraordinary memo to all active duty and reserve troops left no doubt that the military’s top brass considered last week’s attack on the Capitol to be a criminal act and counter to military values and their oaths. Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, signed the memo along with seven other senior leaders.
“We witnessed actions inside the
Capitol building that were inconsistent with the rule of law,” the chiefs wrote. “The rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection.
“As Service Members, we must embody the values and ideals of the Nation. We support and defend the Constitution. Any act to disrupt the Constitutional process is not only against our traditions, values, and oath; it is against the law.”
The Pentagon is seeking to determine how many troops may have taken part in the riot, which took place after President Donald Trump whipped up the crowd. The Army has found that an Army Special Forces captain was at the Capitol and is investigating what she did there. The attack and its aftermath left five people dead and occurred as Congress met in joint session to formalize the Electoral College victory of President-elect Joe Biden.
“The violent riot in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021 was a direct assault on the U.S. Congress, the Capitol building, and our Constitutional process,” they wrote. “We mourn the deaths of two Capitol policemen and others connected to these unprecedented events.”
Since demonstrations this summer after the death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer, Milley has sought to insulate the military from Trump’s attempt to enlist it in his political fights.
Milley and former Defense Secretary Mark Esper fought successfully to keep Trump from invoking the Insurrection Act, which would have allowed him to deploy active duty troops on American streets. In the run-up to the election, Milley repeatedly stated that the military had no role in electoral politics.
The chiefs closed by noting that Biden will be inaugurated Jan. 20 and called on troops to remain focused on their missions.
The Pentagon was asked to review all members of the security detail for Biden’s inauguration Jan. 20 to ensure they are “not sympathetic to domestic terrorists,” Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., said.