Exclusive: interview with Outgoing Capitol Police chief Sund--

By artappraiser on Sun, 01/10/2021 - 11:08pm |

says House, Senate security officials hamstrung efforts to call in National Guard

Capitol Police chief says he begged Pentagon for Nat’l Guard help at 2:26 pm but DOD aide said they didn’t like the ‘look’ of sending in troops. None arrived until 5:40 pm. By then 4 people were dead. https://t.co/VIWIlovQfG
— Jane Mayer (@JaneMayerNYer) January 11, 2021

URL:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sund-riot-national-guard/2021/01/10/fc2ce7d4-5384-11eb-a817-e5e7f8a406d6_story.html

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Pro Publica:

Read this. It seems clear there was a lot of interaction between Sec of Defense Miller and Trump and others leading up to the rally: https://t.co/H2jECxVIk8
— TW Polk (@twpolk) January 11, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 12:36am

Guard arrived 4 hrs after Mayor sent out SOS.

Brilliant.

by PeraclesPlease on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 1:39am

from the Sund interview, he now thinks the pipe bombs were meant to distract him & police from the site while Trump called on protestors to "fight" and Giuliani urged "trial by combat"

this is ominous pic.twitter.com/IPiTYbSgnv
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) January 11, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 1:08am

If there are crimes to distract from other crimes, maybe the operation is still underway.

I hate how paranoid that makes me sound.

by moat on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 10:26am

They haven't seemed like a lot that puts away it's delusions easily. You can maybe put away paranoia Jan 21. Earlier's a bit premature.

by PeraclesPlease on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 10:41am

Good Jan6 on-site reporting (thread)

1) This insurrection wasn’t just redneck white supremacists and QAnon kooks. The people participating in, espousing, or cheering the violence cut across the different factions of the Republican Party and those factions were working in unison. 2/22
— Terry Bouton (@TerryBoutonHist) January 10, 2021

by PeraclesPlease on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 3:06am

I am skeptical of trusting everything he says here. Keep in mind it is not under oath, it is him freely agreeing to interview with WaPo. After reading numerous accounts of how several Congresspersons really repeatedly interrogated all the three Capitol security boss men about being well prepared for this day, well in advance (including Maxine Waters-I was actually surprised to learn what a tough attitude she had about protests of any kind being heavily secured and policed.)

BUT ESPECIALLY after reading this about another guy in charge, Senate Sergeant at Arms Michael Stenger. Amazing reporting from a shocking leak:

Amid the mayhem, a large group of senators were secretly led to a room in a Senate office building. Stenger was with them, and the furious lawmakers peppered him with questions.

“How does this happen? How does this happen?” demanded Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.)

Stenger could not muster much of an answer, practically inaudible as he dispiritedly debriefed the senators. “He was talking in circles,” Graham thought to himself.

Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., called Stenger’s attempt to field that question “absolutely pathetic” and further reduced confidence in the room. As Graham pressed for a better explanation, Stenger’s voice got weaker and smaller.

“Here’s your mission: Take back the Senate,” Graham told Stenger. “Whatever you need to do, do it. We’re not leaving this place. We’re not going to be run out by a mob.”

Finally, the Senate sergeant at arms sat down amid the others in the room, saying to no one in particular: “I wish I had just retired last week.”

McConnell was determined to get back to the floor. “We are going back tonight” to finish the vote to formalize the election, he said at one point. “The thugs won’t win.”

By 6 p.m., a perimeter around the Capitol was secured.

from Inside the Capitol siege: How barricaded lawmakers and aides sounded urgent pleas for help as police lost control @ WaPo (actually is an amazing piece overall, a real "you are there" quality to it.

by artappraiser on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 3:44pm

The CYA principle is on full display in the account. And now we have other officials in other agencies also playing hot potato. None of the narratives add up with each other yet. If Stenger's expressions of confusion are genuine, then his complaint that he was played is germane. Too early to tell.

Regarding the remarks from various legislators, I thought Waters asked the most important questions while McConnell and Graham were just demanding the waiter bring their dinner now.

by moat on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 4:10pm

CYA: exactly.

Been seeing lots of criticism of the FBI about being incommunicado with the media. No press briefings, no unified messaging. As they are supposed to be the top of the heap as far as security from these sorts of dangers Why? Personally I don't think we know why yet. It's not their usual practice as regards terrorist threats, i.e., they didn't announce to the public when they were taking a trip to Pakistan or Spain for intel or whatever after 9/11. But again, in way, back then they were trying to play catch up after "we screwed up." The news about NYPD Terrorism Dept. trying to warn them is same old same old--bogus oneupmanship competition or the real thing, it's like one can never know for sure....

by artappraiser on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 6:48pm

What did Bill Barr set up before he conveniently left office?

He dealt with he 1st wave of pardons. What was his involvement in Jan 6?

by PeraclesPlease on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 6:55pm

a reminder of where Barr is at now:

William P. Barr, who resigned last month as attorney general, issued an even sharper condemnation of the president he served. He called Trump’s conduct “a betrayal of his office and supporters,” adding in a statement to the Associated Press that “orchestrating a mob to pressure Congress is inexcusable.”

from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-resignations-25th-amendment/2021/01/07/e131ce10-50a3-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html

Don't know what he set up could have been used for Jan. 6, but from doing my blogs on "Learning about Extremism" I saw signs he was real proud of his "Operation Legend"including seguing from helping cities with crime to helping them with controlling radical protesters. Probably his idea to send the fed mystery men to Portland etc.

Just probably has a core belief with civil unrest of any kind that if he could shoot them all, he would. No preference about ideology of any rioters, or even degree of bad behavior: kill them all. Far from a fan of rioting or even misbehavior....

by artappraiser on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 7:09pm

Or a convenient 180 shift to save his ass til tomorrow. He's a survivor, more than anyone on the scene.

by PeraclesPlease on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 7:40pm

what you are thinking about Bill Barr, maybe more appropriate to be thinking of Chad Wolf?

A reminder that this is part of DHS Acting Head Chad Wolf’s legacy (he just resigned) https://t.co/D6IxJEyIxZ
— Robert L. Tsai (@robertltsai) January 12, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 10:51pm

The discrepancy you observe is important to take note of.

On the other hand, comparing this particular moment with previous bullshit is difficult.

Maybe the best civic response is a kind of coma where we wait for words to have meaning again.

by moat on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 7:45pm

I still want to know whether Park Service informed the rest of govt they had bumped the last permit from 5K to 30K and where the hell Park Police were last week. https://t.co/ySuTziqlOX
— Dr. emptywheel (@emptywheel) January 12, 2021

by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 01/12/2021 - 1:30pm

More treachery afoot

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5ffd29a4c5b691806c4bf199

by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 01/12/2021 - 1:34pm

here's WaPo doing Chapter 2 of the above; that was what was going on in the Capitol, here's new on what was going on in the White House:

Kevin McCarthy appealed to Jared Kushner. Lindsey Graham called Ivanka. Kellyanne Conway called an aide at the president's side. All begging him to calm his rioters. But the president was too entranced by the tv. By @AshleyRParker @jdawsey1 @PhilipRucker https://t.co/36lcLmgVWs
— Rosalind Helderman (@PostRoz) January 12, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 8:57pm

At least 2 Capitol police officers suspended, more than a dozen under investigation over actions related to riot

Via @byaaroncdavis @rebtanhs @bethreinhard https://t.co/LvzrRAXEF3
— Matea Gold (@mateagold) January 12, 2021

also

A Secret Service officer was put under investigation after posting comments on Facebook in which she accused lawmakers who formalized Biden’s win of treason and expressed support for the rioters who stormed the Capitol, the agency confirmed Monday. https://t.co/8ejgDOqgQh
— Matea Gold (@mateagold) January 12, 2021

by artappraiser on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 8:53pm

Video/photo gathering & analysis continues

#Bellingcat lending its resources & expertise?

UPDATE: Process improvements inbound.

Going to collaborate with @bellingcat's team of open-source investigators to manage intake. This will help us all focus on areas that need the most attention while trying not to lose key leads in the shuffle.

Instructions coming soon. pic.twitter.com/hlbF9F2u8X
— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) January 11, 2021

by PeraclesPlease on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 10:11pm

Exclusive: interview with Outgoing Capitol Police chief Sund--

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