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Did US intelligence reports fail to forecast Capitol riot?

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Jan 10, 2022, 06:18 PM IST
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File photo: January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. Photograph:(Twitter)

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During the attack, the rioters vandalised property, assaulted some of the lawmakers and they even occupied the building for several hours

Last year on January 6, a year after the mob of hundreds of angry supporters of former United States President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol in Washington DC, with an intention to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. 

During the attack, the rioters vandalised property, assaulted some of the lawmakers and they even occupied the building for several hours. Many were injured and at least five people died either shortly before, during or following the incident. 

Ever since the incident, one of the major questions that have been raised is: was there any lapse in internal security, did the intelligence agencies fail to anticipate the extent of destruction the attacks might cause. 

Last year a Senate probe into the incident uncovered a "number of intelligence and security failures" leading up to and on the day violence erupted on Jan 6.

As per the 95-page report, warnings of the potential attack at the Capitol weren't issued by intelligence officers, including the FBI. The police officers were unprepared to deal with rioters.

The report, which was published by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Rules committees, had stated that the police's intelligence unit "knew about social media posts" that were circulated ahead of the attack. The posts mentioned violence at the Capitol including a plot to breach the building.

The report also highlighted other delays, and now a latest report by The Associated Press reiterates the same thing as it states the police agency for days underestimated the prospect of chaotic violence and disruptions and the intelligence reports show how.

As per the media report, those documents also obtained by AP, warned that crowds could number in thousands and include members of extremist groups like the Proud Boys. 

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden accused his predecessor Trump Thursday of attempting to block the democratic transfer of power on January 6, 2021 after losing the presidential election.

"For the first time in our history, a president not just lost an election; he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol," Biden said in a speech marking the first anniversary of the attack on the US Congress.

"This wasn't a group of tourists. This was an armed insurrection," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)