Pentagon watchdog to launch probe into white supremacists in armed forces in wake of US Capitol riot

 

15 Jan, 2021 06:51

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Members of the US National Guard at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 13, 2021. © Getty Images / Tasos Katopodis 

The Pentagon said it will reinforce its zero-tolerance policy towards white supremacists and violent extremists after a crowd of Donald Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol last week.

The US Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (OIG) said it plans to evaluate the policies and programs aimed at curtailing “ideological extremism within the US Armed Forces.”

The OIG will be specifically looking into how the Pentagon and its branches have implemented the policies of weeding out “active advocacy and active participation related to supremacist, extremist, or criminal gang doctrine, ideology, or causes” by active-duty soldiers. The probe is due to begin this month.

The Pentagon has “reemphasized” its zero-tolerance stance against white supremacists and groups seeking to “overturn the US Constitution” in the wake of the storming of the US Capitol in Washington by supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump on January 6, the Defense Department’s website said.

“We clearly recognize the threat from domestic extremists, particularly those who espouse White supremacy or White nationalist ideologies,” a senior defense official told the US media.

We cannot let these things fester within organizations and become OK. Once that happens, then your reporting does suffer. So our emphasis within all the ranks is that it is not OK.

The members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier called the riots at the Capitol “a direct assault” on the constitutional process which was “inconsistent” with the rule of law. The Joint Chiefs of Staff vowed to support and defend the Constitution, and acknowledged that President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated on January 20.

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