According to CNN on the 12th, the top military leadership of the United States condemned last week’s protesters’ attack on the U.S. Capitol and warned in a statement that the U.S. military has an obligation to support and defend the Constitution and reject extremism. CNN noted that this highlights the unprecedented challenges facing the country after President Trump supporters tried to launch a “insurgency” on January 6.
According to Russia Today (RT), the Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned the congressional riot as a “direct attack” on the U.S. Constitution as a “insurgency” and called on the U.S. military to remain “alert” as the president’s inauguration day.
RT said that this is a rare condemnation issued by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, because its members rarely get involved in domestic political affairs.
“The violent riots in Washington on January 6, 2021 were a direct attack on the U.S. Congress, the Capitol, and our constitutional process,” said a statement signed by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and all members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
We have witnessed violations of the rule of law in the Capitol. The right to freedom of expression and assembly does not give anyone the right to resort to violence, incitement and rebellion.”
As the President’s inauguration day approaches, the Joint Chiefs of Staff called on U.S. troops deployed overseas and domestically to “be ready and focused on duty” and said January 20 “President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as our 46th Commander-in-Chief.”
The statement read, “As a soldier, we must embody the values and ideas of the country.
We support and defend the Constitution, and any breach of constitutional process is not only against our traditions, values and vows, but also against the law.”
The statement also mentioned those who lost their lives in last week’s congressional riots, “we mourn the two congressional policemen who lost their lives as a result, and others who died as a result of these unprecedented events.” One congressional policeman reportedly died after being hit in the head by a fire extinguisher during the riot, and another congressional police officer committed suicide a few days after the riot.
Among the protesters, one U.S. Air Force veteran was shot dead by police in the Capitol, and three others died of “emergency medical conditions”.
