January 12th local time, senior leaders of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. military broke nearly a week of silence and issued a joint statement on the riots in the U.S. Congress on the 6th.
They condemned the demonstrators involved in the riots for violating U.S. laws and challenging the procedures set forth by the U.S. Constitution, and stressed that Biden had won the U.S. election and was about to become the new commander-in-chief of the U.S. military.
Reuters pointed out in the report that senior leaders of the U.S. military usually do not issue statements involving political issues, and it is very rare for them to make such a joint statement this time.
The joint statement, which first repeated the responsibilities of the U.S. military, said that the U.S. military has always obeyed the legitimate orders of civilian leaders, ensured public safety under the law, and was committed to “protecting the constitutional government of the United States from damage from enemies at home and abroad”.
The statement then condemned the riots in the United States Congress on the 6th, saying that the demonstrators directly attacked the legal procedures of the U.S. Congress and the constitutional process, and that U.S. law did not give them such rights, and the U.S. military would resolutely “defend the Constitution”.
“We witnessed the violation of the law in the Capitol. The rights to freedom of expression and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, incitement and rebellion.
As military personnel, we must embody the values and ideas of the nation, we support and defend the U.S. Constitution, and any action that undermines constitutional procedures is not only against tradition, values and vows, but also against the law.” The statement read.
In the final statement, the Joint Chiefs of Staff stressed that according to the U.S. Constitution, after confirmation by states and courts and congressional certification, Biden will be sworn in as President of the United States on January 20, becoming the 46th commander-in-chief of the U.S. military.
They also reminded U.S. soldiers across the United States to be vigilant and ready to perform their duties.
According to the final signature of the document, Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Army, Vice Chairman John Hetten, and leaders of various services of the U.S. Army, signed the statement.
According to CBS, the Joint Chiefs of Staff is responsible for the chief military adviser to the President of the United States and usually does not involve political matters.
Although the statement did not issue any political declaration, it clearly showed that senior U.S. officials believed it was necessary to reaffirm the responsibilities of the U.S. military before the inauguration of the new president. Reuters also pointed out that such a joint statement by senior U.S. officials is very rare.
The report pointed out that the U.S. military’s statement this time contrasted sharply with their approach last June.
At that time, in the protest after the “kneeling death” of a black man Freud, Millie, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, accompanied Trump to the church to take photos. On the way, the Chinese Civil Guard used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the protesters.
Millie later apologized to the American people for this matter.
Since the U.S. military is mainly composed of white men, the existence of “extremism” within the U.S. military has also been closely monitored after the congressional riots. The U.S. Army said on the 12th that it would cooperate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate whether U.S. military personnel were also involved in the demonstration.
There is no room for extremism in the military, and we will consult every report and take appropriate action. A spokesman for the U.S. Army said.
The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that up to 15,000 National Guard soldiers may be transferred to security during Biden’s inauguration.
The U.S. military and the U.S. Secret Service will also conduct investigations into these National Guard personnel and decide whether in-depth background checks on some of their soldiers are needed, as appropriate.
