US military leaders blast 'insurrection' at Capitol
January 13, 2021
Top ranking members of the US armed forces have decried the far-right violence from Donald Trump's supporters and confirmed that Joe Biden will be inaugurated on January 20.
The US military vowed not to get involved in electoral disputes before the November electionImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/P. Semansky
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The highest-ranking military general in the United States, Mark Milly, along with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, released a statement on Tuesday condemning the violence in the Capitol on Wednesday.
The statement, signed by the heads of each of the military branches, called the events of January 6 "inconsistent with the rule of law."
"The rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection."
The message from the military's top brass also reminded serving men and women to "remain focused on the mission."
In the unprecedented move, the military leaders felt it necessary to remind those serving in the military that any attempt to "disrupt the constitutional process" would not only go against "our traditions, values, and oath; it is also against the law."
Military sides with the rule of law
In an open contradiction with President Donald Trump — who will leave office on January 20 — the military memo confirmed the victory of the incoming Democrat.
"On January 20, 2021, in accordance with the Constitution … President-elect [Joe] Biden will be inaugurated and will become our 46th Commander in Chief."
From the Bastille to the Capitol: Storming government buildings through the ages
Images of the insurrection at the US Capitol shocked the world. Yet it wasn't the first time — nor likely the last.
Image: akg-images/picture alliance
1789: Storming the Bastille
A Paris mob intoxicated by ideas of liberty and equality in the face of authoritarian monarchical rule sparked the French Revolution when they stormed a medieval fortress that also held freedom-loving political prisoners. The Bastille fell to the righteous mob on July 14, 1789, and such a people's coup against tyranny has long been celebrated with a public holiday in France.
Image: akg-images/picture alliance
1917: Insurrection in the Winter Palace
Russia's October Revolution began when the Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace, where a provisional government was seated. Having overthrown the Russian Tsar in February, the Bolshevik uprising also known as Red October capped the revolution when it succeeded in overwhelming the seat of government in the capital Saint Petersburg.
Image: picture-alliance/akg
1958: Iraqi military putsch
In July 1958, a mob pillaged and burned the palace of King Faisal in Baghdad in Iraq and overthrew the monarchy as part of a broader military putsch to install a new republican regime. Faisal and his closest associates were killed in the revolt, with the former being publicly mutilated.
Image: picture-alliance/akg-images
1973: Military coup in Chile
Democratically elected President Salvatore Allende had been in office for three years when he was ousted in a savage military coup. Heavily armed soldiers stormed the presidential palace on September 11, 1973. Allende committed suicide and General Augusto Pinochet's brutal military dictatorship began.
Image: OFF/AFP/Getty Images
1981: Attempted coup in Spain
On February 23, 1981, Lieutenant-Governor Antonio Tejero Molina entered the Spanish Parliament with 200 military police and soldiers and held the democratically-elected congresspeople hostage for some 18 hours. King Juan Carlos intervened and insisted on a stable transition to democracy after the end of the Franco regime. The coup was thwarted and Molina subsequently served 15 years in prison.
Image: picture-alliance/ dpa
Insurrection at the Reichstag
The Reichstag or German parliament was burned to the ground in 1933 and has long been a site for insurrection, including last August when a mob protesting coronavirus protection measures tried to storm the building until police pushed them back. Like at the US Capitol, many of the protesters were aligned with the far right, included members of the extremist Reichsbürger nationalist group.
Image: Reuters/C. Mang
Invading the US Capitol
After demonstrators gathered in Washington D.C. for a "stop the steal" rally near the cordoned-off Capitol, hundreds of angry Trump supporters set off for the building, egged on by the president's baseless claims of a stolen election. The police stationed at the Congress were apparently unprepared to deal with the violent protesters who easily broke through cordons and stormed the building.
Image: Shannon Stapleton/REUTERS
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Some military veterans participated in the invasion of the Capitol building — including the one rioter who was shot dead by police — however, the statement made no reference to this.
Security officials and the national guard are preparing plans for the inauguration ceremony in Washington DC amid fears that armed Trump supporters may carry out further violent actions in the capital and across the country.
The military will not take part in security operations, however, CNN reported that the US Army was working with the Secret Service to investigate whether further background screening will be necessary for soldiers who will be part of Biden's National Guard detail on inauguration day.
As President Donald Trump is still the commander in chief and has used his time in office to increase military spending, but the military has stayed out of disputes over the president's unproven claims of electoral fraud.
