MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2021) The US National Guard will keep 5,000 troops in Washington, DC to ensure law and order in the capital after the Wednesday inauguration of President Joe Biden.
"As we continue to work to meet the final post-inauguration requirements, the National Guard has been requested to continue supporting Federal law enforcement agencies with 7,000 members and will draw down to 5,000 through mid-March," the National Guard said in a statement, as quoted by Fox News.
The guard added that troops are providing assistance "such as security, communications, medical evacuation, logistics" and support to federal, state, and district agencies.
Over 25,000 troops from all 50 US states were brought to Washington to secure the capital during the inauguration. According to Fox news, approximately 10,000 troops remain in the capital as of now after 15,000 guardsmen were sent home.
The decision to deploy guardsmen to the capital was made in response to the January 6 Capitol riots, when supporters of ex-President Donald Trump stormed the building in a bid to prevent Congress from approving the presidential election results. The US House of Representatives impeached Trump after the unrest, and his trial in the Senate in due to begin on February 8.
The media reported that the decision to keep troops in Washington until March was prompted by security concerns during the impeachment trial and during Biden's first address to a joint Congress session in late February.
