Homeland Security:Thousands of National Guard Troops Head for Washington

At a Thursday news conference, Washington,D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser reacted to the harrowing events of the previous day, when white nationalist domestic terrorists,including neo-Nazis,incited by President Donald Trump at a rally earlier in the day,stormed the U.S. Capitol.One terrorist had been armed with an automatic rifle and molotov cocktails.Several may still be at large in the D.C. area. In the course of the insurrection,one woman was shot dead in the Capitol by US Capitol Police.Three other people died on the Capitol grounds of unspecified medical emergencies.Several dozen arrests have been made.There are fifteen federal cases underway, some of them involving firearms and ammunition. The FBI is going after the terrorists still at large and a tip line has been set up with a thousand dollar reward offer for tips leading to an arrest and conviction.Several effective tips have been received. The terrorists sought to prevent the US Congress from certifying the election of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.In the event, the terrorists were cleared out by Washington Metropolitan Police, Capitol Police and the D.C. National Guard.Congress was able to continue their constitutional work and completed the certification,setting the stage for the presidential inauguration on 20 January. Domestic terrorism is defined by the US Government as violent acts against persons and/or property to advance political or social objectives.* Mayor Bowser said that an unclimbable security fence had been installed along the Capitol grounds.Several states are sending National Guard reinforcements: Maryland; Virginia;New Jersey;New York; and Pennsylvania.By noon,850 troops would be in place.A total of 6200 Soldiers will be deployed to protect the nation's capital through the inauguration, joining the Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement.* Ms.Bowser acknowledged there had been an initial failure by the Capitol Police to contain the assault.It took hours for reinforcements to arrive - partly because President Trump didn't want to authorise the National Guard to assist.Vice President Mike Pence ultimately stepped in and got things rolling.* The entire D.C. National Guard has been called up.*