Leroy N. Soetoro
2020-06-01 18:41:35 UTC
https://news.yahoo.com/minnesota-guard-carrying-guns-ammo-222318862.html
As law enforcement officials brace for another night of violent protests
in Minneapolis, Minnesota National Guard members activated to support them
are now armed and carrying ammunition, the general in charge said Sunday.
Guard members are carrying rifles, sidearms and ammunition in response to
a "credible threat" aimed directly against them as reported by the FBI,
Army Maj. Gen. Jon Jensen, adjutant general of the Minnesota National
Guard, said in a phone briefing with reporters.
"Our soldiers are currently carrying ammunition in their magazine
pouches," Jensen said. "We don't talk about rules of engagement," he
added, but said in general troops "cannot greatly exceed the force" with
which they might be threatened.
The number of Guard members activated in Minnesota to support local law
enforcement reportedly could reach 10,000. By Saturday evening, there were
nearly 2,000 troops ready for response.
Nationwide protests are expected to stretch into a sixth night Sunday over
the May 25 death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands
of a white police officer, seen in videos kneeling on his neck for more
than eight minutes.
The adjutants general of Colorado and Georgia, who joined Jensen on the
call, said their troops had not received any direct credible threats.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Loh, adjutant general of Colorado, said the
troops he has deployed to back up law enforcement in Denver were not
armed, and Army Maj. Gen. Thomas Carden Jr., adjutant general of Georgia,
said his troops were carrying only sidearms.
All three generals said they did not see an immediate need for federal
active-duty troops in what they described as a situation in all three
states where local law enforcement was getting a better grasp on dealing
with the protests.
"At this time we have not asked for the Department of Defense to give us
active-duty forces to support this operation," Jensen said, but added that
assistance from National Guard units in other states in the form of
military police was a possibility if violent protests persisted.
Jensen gave no indication of the group or individuals behind the threat
relayed to the Minnesota Guard by the FBI, but Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at
a news conference Friday said "outside agitators" from other states were
seeking to exploit the legitimate anger over Floyd's death to pursue their
own agendas.
At a news conference Saturday, Attorney General William Barr said the
protests were being manipulated by "anarchic" and "far-left extremist
groups."
On the conference call, Jensen said the Minnesota Guard members deployed
to Minneapolis and St. Paul were not equipped with rubber bullets and
tasers in addition to their weapons and ammunition.
Loh said the Colorado Guard has shields, batons, tasers and pepper spray,
but "we have not had to use any of those."
Carden did not disclose what his troops were carrying but said, "I
primarily go with sidearms" for the Georgia Guard troops deployed to
Atlanta and Savannah.
All three adjutants general said the activations to assist local law
enforcement were not detracting from their ongoing missions to help combat
COVID-19.
All three also said that their additional missions to back up local law
enforcement against protesters were not ones they welcomed.
"We in America should not get used to or accept [calling up the Guard] to
secure people in the United States of America," Carden said. "This is a
sign of the times that we need to do better in our country."
In an earlier statement, National Guard Bureau officials said that a total
of about 5,000 Guard soldiers and airmen had been activated as of Sunday
morning "in response to civil disturbances in 15 states and the District
of Columbia, with another 2,000 prepared to activate if needed."
The bureau added that "the situation is fluid so those numbers can change
rapidly," and noted that "Guardsmen live in the communities they serve,
and are there to protect their neighbor's right to protest peacefully."
-- Richard Sisk can be reached at ***@military.com.
--
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Donald J. Trump, 304 electoral votes to 227, defeated compulsive liar in
denial Hillary Rodham Clinton on December 19th, 2016. The clown car
parade of the democrat party ran out of gas and got run over by a Trump
truck.
Congratulations President Trump. Thank you for cleaning up the disaster
of the Obama presidency.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump has boosted the economy, reduced illegal immigration,
appointed dozens of judges and created jobs.
Senile loser and NAMBLA supporter Nancy Pelosi got "Trumped" on February
5, 2020. "President Trump, Not Guilty."
As law enforcement officials brace for another night of violent protests
in Minneapolis, Minnesota National Guard members activated to support them
are now armed and carrying ammunition, the general in charge said Sunday.
Guard members are carrying rifles, sidearms and ammunition in response to
a "credible threat" aimed directly against them as reported by the FBI,
Army Maj. Gen. Jon Jensen, adjutant general of the Minnesota National
Guard, said in a phone briefing with reporters.
"Our soldiers are currently carrying ammunition in their magazine
pouches," Jensen said. "We don't talk about rules of engagement," he
added, but said in general troops "cannot greatly exceed the force" with
which they might be threatened.
The number of Guard members activated in Minnesota to support local law
enforcement reportedly could reach 10,000. By Saturday evening, there were
nearly 2,000 troops ready for response.
Nationwide protests are expected to stretch into a sixth night Sunday over
the May 25 death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands
of a white police officer, seen in videos kneeling on his neck for more
than eight minutes.
The adjutants general of Colorado and Georgia, who joined Jensen on the
call, said their troops had not received any direct credible threats.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Loh, adjutant general of Colorado, said the
troops he has deployed to back up law enforcement in Denver were not
armed, and Army Maj. Gen. Thomas Carden Jr., adjutant general of Georgia,
said his troops were carrying only sidearms.
All three generals said they did not see an immediate need for federal
active-duty troops in what they described as a situation in all three
states where local law enforcement was getting a better grasp on dealing
with the protests.
"At this time we have not asked for the Department of Defense to give us
active-duty forces to support this operation," Jensen said, but added that
assistance from National Guard units in other states in the form of
military police was a possibility if violent protests persisted.
Jensen gave no indication of the group or individuals behind the threat
relayed to the Minnesota Guard by the FBI, but Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at
a news conference Friday said "outside agitators" from other states were
seeking to exploit the legitimate anger over Floyd's death to pursue their
own agendas.
At a news conference Saturday, Attorney General William Barr said the
protests were being manipulated by "anarchic" and "far-left extremist
groups."
On the conference call, Jensen said the Minnesota Guard members deployed
to Minneapolis and St. Paul were not equipped with rubber bullets and
tasers in addition to their weapons and ammunition.
Loh said the Colorado Guard has shields, batons, tasers and pepper spray,
but "we have not had to use any of those."
Carden did not disclose what his troops were carrying but said, "I
primarily go with sidearms" for the Georgia Guard troops deployed to
Atlanta and Savannah.
All three adjutants general said the activations to assist local law
enforcement were not detracting from their ongoing missions to help combat
COVID-19.
All three also said that their additional missions to back up local law
enforcement against protesters were not ones they welcomed.
"We in America should not get used to or accept [calling up the Guard] to
secure people in the United States of America," Carden said. "This is a
sign of the times that we need to do better in our country."
In an earlier statement, National Guard Bureau officials said that a total
of about 5,000 Guard soldiers and airmen had been activated as of Sunday
morning "in response to civil disturbances in 15 states and the District
of Columbia, with another 2,000 prepared to activate if needed."
The bureau added that "the situation is fluid so those numbers can change
rapidly," and noted that "Guardsmen live in the communities they serve,
and are there to protect their neighbor's right to protest peacefully."
-- Richard Sisk can be reached at ***@military.com.
--
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Donald J. Trump, 304 electoral votes to 227, defeated compulsive liar in
denial Hillary Rodham Clinton on December 19th, 2016. The clown car
parade of the democrat party ran out of gas and got run over by a Trump
truck.
Congratulations President Trump. Thank you for cleaning up the disaster
of the Obama presidency.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump has boosted the economy, reduced illegal immigration,
appointed dozens of judges and created jobs.
Senile loser and NAMBLA supporter Nancy Pelosi got "Trumped" on February
5, 2020. "President Trump, Not Guilty."