HLS Final PJ

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Title: Capital Attacks

TaMinka Watford

Tiffin University

Abstract

The Capitol Hill attack was an indicator of the growing insurgency of domestic

extremism and white supremacy militias. This report exemplifies the looming threat such groups

pose to national security and the level of provocation they are prepared to unleash due to the

entitlement of being U.S. Citizens. Additionally, this is compounded by the poor preparation and

planning of security agencies due to undermining their capabilities. Poor communication and

lack of interdepartmental coordination were also evident. The Capitol Hill attack went down in

history as one of the significant failures of security bodies in the country. The lives of lawmakers

and frontline line officers were heavily threatened by the extremist groups and the inadequate

response by the security institutions. The primary lesson learnt is that the threat posed by

domestic extremist groups ought to be taken more seriously.

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Introduction

Research

The storming of the U.S. Capitol was a convergence of many organizations. These

organizations can be grouped into white supremacists, antigovernment and militia movements

(Luke, 2021). There were different groups involved: Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, Turning Point

USA, and Three Percenters (Waqar, 2021). The realization of pursuit for a common objective

was reported to contribute to the mob mentality witnessed.

Planning the Capital Hill storming required a lot of planning. Most of the planning was

said to take place on online platforms. This is also an indicator of the rise of online extremism.

Due to stringent rules by the major platforms, most of the organization on online extremism is

shifting towards smaller, niche platforms (Waqar, 2021).

The rioters shocked many people in the country by how fast they could swiftly

overwhelm the security forces in the nation's capital. This was a huge disappointment despite the

multitude of law enforcement agencies in the vicinity. The U.S. Capital Police are mandated to

protect the White House. The U.S. Park Police protect the Ellipse, the Metropolitan Police

Department on the city streets, and the U.S. Secret Service in the Capitol Complex (Luke, 2021).

The National Guard was also required to be on standby during the period, primarily due to the

high tension attributed to the heavy political polarization and transition (Martin, 2020).

Analysis

The level of preparedness of Capitol Hill for the attack was relatively poor. The U.S.

Capitol Police had already received specific intelligence on the attack some days prior. There are

questions on the accuracy of intelligence received since the information was all out there because

the planning happened on online platforms. Unfortunately, the Capitol Hill Police prepared for a

regular protest instead of an organized assault (Karoun, 2021). This points out breakdowns in

intelligence gathering (Martin, 2020). Such ignorance and negligence led to inadequate

preparation of the frontline workers. The attack could have had significant implications since it

compromised the security of lawmakers and other officials in the building. This also points out

inefficiencies in other intelligence bodies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Karoun,

2021). The attack also signifies inadequate training of the Capitol Police in handling

less-than-lethal munitions and mob control.

The inadequate response at Capitol Hill was characterized by miscommunication and

confusion among the commanding officials. Slow mobilization and poor interdepartmental

communication was also a concern (Karoun, 2021). The delay in sending in the National Guard

to assist the overwhelmed Capitol police can be attributed to a lack of clarity of the help needed

and bureaucracy in issuing a formal request. This was showcased in a report by Senate

Homeland Security, and Governmental Affairs Committee and Senate Rules Committee.

The delay in response can also be attributed to the over-militarization in the George Floyd

protests in 2020, which spewed a lot of public outrage (Karoun, 2021). The preparation of a

“clear deployment plan” to prevent over-militarization consumption delayed the response for

long. A lot of additional measures and authorization protocols also contributed to the delayed

response.

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The delayed response and inadequate preparedness indicate the lack of well-drawn

contingency plans to respond quickly to civil disturbances (Karoun, 2021). This was also

compounded by flawed situational analysis to determine the level of assistance accurately and

equipment required. Poor orientation with updates in the command-and-control work is also

depicted (Cooper, 2012).

The rise of domestic extremism stems from some of the dark areas of American histories,

such as White Supremacy. As showcased in response to the Capitol Hill attack, there is a lot of

hesitancy in confronting these groups (Martin, 2020). With the advent of medial social platforms,

they can coordinate their activities despite geographical differences. It is also easier for them to

acquire arms due to the proliferation of guns in America. Unfortunately, some extremist

ideologies have also penetrated political circles, armed services, and police departments,

undermining their trust and cooperation. There is a likelihood of bias in the court systems, which

will be a barrier to judicial proceedings (Martin, J., & Cooper,2017).

Conclusion

The security response to the Capitol Hill attacks was characterized by poor intelligence

collection and inadequate preparations for the attack. The actual response was also characterized

by poor interdepartmental communication and excessive bureaucratic procedures. These

practices threatened the security of lawmakers in the building and risked the security of frontline

officers. This reflects the implications of how poor planning and response to domestic extremism

can undermine the country security.

References

Cooper, H. (Ed.). (2012). A handbook of research methods in psychology (Vols 1-3). American

Karoun, D. (June 8, 2021). Capitol Police had intelligence indicating an armed invasion weeks

before January 6 riot, Senate probe finds, National Security. Washington Post. Retrieved

from;https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/january-6-senate-investigation/2

021/06/08/a8cc5b1e-c7d4-11eb-81b1-34796c7393af_story.html

Luke, B (April 13, 2021). Capitol Police Told to Hold Back on Riot Response on January 6, Report Finds. New York Times. Retrieved from:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/13/us/politics/capitol-police-riot-report.html

Martin, G. (2020). Understanding homeland security. (3rd ed.) Sage Publishing.

Martin, J., & Cooper, H. (2017). Critical thinking about research: Psychology and related fields.

(2nd ed.). American Psychological Association.

Psychological Association.

Waqar, S. (2021). Depiction of Mob Attack on Capitol Hill: A Linguistics-Stylistic Analysis of

U.S. Newspaper Headlines. Psychology and Education Journal, 58(4), 4656-4661.