A week before the inauguration ceremony of the new president of the United States, American intelligence services began to prepare for a new wave of unrest that could sweep Washington.
On Wednesday, January 13, the US Secret Service begins preparations for the inauguration of Joe Biden and organizes the mobilization of security forces. So, in a week in Washington, in addition to thousands of police officers and special forces, 15 thousand soldiers of the National Guard will be on duty. This is slightly more than the Armed Forces of Latvia, numbering 14.5 thousand fighters, of which 8 thousand are the people’s militia.
Preparations begin a week before the inauguration so that the National Guard, the FBI, the Secret Service and other US law enforcement agencies can coordinate their plans. In addition, authorities are strengthening Washington, fearing a wave of protests on Sunday.
Veterans of the American intelligence services, on condition of anonymity, told The Washington Post that they had never faced such a level of threat of unrest. Therefore, from today on, the Secret Service is launching the Interdepartmental Command Center, a field headquarters that will include representatives of government agencies and even private companies like the gas company and railway operators. Most of the staff will work a 12-hour shift.
Washington for the coming days is completely controlled by the Secret Service. The agency has the right, for example, to close metro stations and block roads. The FBI will be responsible for collecting intelligence.
Secret Service spokesman Justin Whelan said planning for the inauguration began a year ago, and work has intensified in recent months. True, according to some officials, the storming of the Capitol was not included in the plans of the special services, and the security forces had to seriously reconsider their plans.