WASHINGTON – US law enforcement agencies are screening National Guardmembers to make sure they do not pose a security risk duringPresident-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, a four-star general said incomments broadcast Sunday.

Following the January 6 riots at the Capitol building in support ofoutgoing President Donald Trump, it emerged that some of those involved hadcurrent or former ties to the military.

General Daniel Hokanson, who heads the National Guard Bureau, was asked byCBS News on Sunday if troops were being checked as they arrived inWashington.

“In coordination with the Secret Service and the FBI, they’re screening allthe personnel that are coming in,” Hokanson said.

Much of Washington resembles a fortified compound in a war zone, with mostof the downtown area blocked off, security fences topped by razor wire andabout 25,000 National Guard troops deployed to the capital.

In a recent letter to all US troops, the Joint Chiefs of Staff told servicemembers the January 6 riots were “inconsistent with the rule of law” andsaid troops “must embody the values and ideals. -APP/AFP