The Official and Unofficial Timeline of Defense Dept Actions on Jan. 6 (Just Security)

[Nevilledog]

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Tweet text:
Ryan Goodman
@rgoodlaw
In advance of Congressional hearing with former acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller (finally!), @K8brannen and I prepared a Timeline.

👉Shows gross omissions in DoD's public timeline.

👉Points to a COVER UP (see especially critical 2:22pm phone call)

The Official and Unofficial Timeline of Defense Dept Actions on Jan. 6
A look at the questionable omissions in the Pentagon’s official timeline of its actions on January 6.
justsecurity.org

https://www.justsecurity.org/76117/the-official-and-unofficial-timeline-of-defense-department-actions-on-january-6/

In advance of Wednesday’s congressional hearing on “unexplained delays and unanswered questions” pertaining to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, we are revisiting the day’s events, focusing closely on the Defense Department’s actions. Central to this exercise is the timeline DoD released on Jan. 8, which was intended to “memorialize the planning and execution efforts” taken by the Pentagon in response to the violence unfolding three miles away.

When it was made public, the timeline provided the public new information about how the day unfolded for senior Defense Department officials: who they spoke to and when they made key decisions. Since then, new testimony and reporting has revealed significant information was omitted from the document. And, as the AP reported in April, an internal DoD timeline — never released to the public — included pivotal moments that the public document failed to mention.

One of the consequential conversations not included by DoD in its public timeline took place just after rioters had penetrated the scaffolding around the Capitol and were making their way into the building. During the phone call, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund pleaded with senior Army leaders for help. According to the testimony of at least three people on the call, Army leaders did not respond to those pleas with immediate support or affirmation. Instead, they raised concerns about how it would look to have members of the National Guard on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, as well as concerns that the presence of the Guard could inflame the rioters. The Pentagon did not disclose this conversation when it released its timeline in the days after Jan. 6. It also tried to hide the fact that Michael Flynn’s brother, Lt. Gen. Charles Flynn, was one of the participants. Flynn, who serves as the Army’s deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and training, later admitted to being on the call.

Following this midday conversation, news of it started to immediately leak to journalists and officials in D.C. city government, who then began reporting that DoD had denied a request for additional support for the D.C. National Guard. This led to widespread confusion, especially as it soon emerged that, behind the scenes, Defense Department leaders were in the process of granting the authorities to mobilize the Guard. (Read the timeline for more on the distinction between the authorization to mobilize and the authorization to deploy the Guard.)

*snip*

[crickets]

1. Interesting reading. Interesting and infuriating.

Nobody is going to come out of this unscathed for decisions made as well as decisions deferred due to 'optics.' The lack of planning in spite of prior warnings and concerns is unacceptable. The lack of action once events were underway is grossly out of balance with unfolding events. DoD's attempts to cover their mistakes, their omissions from the timeline, and their outright lies (Flynn, timing of orders to 'mobilize' vs 'deploy' etc) afterward would be laughable if the stakes weren't so high. Congressmembers attempting to whitewash what actually happened are fools for even trying.

12:52 Sund receives word that a pipe bomb has been found at the Republican National Committee Headquarters, immediately adjacent to Capitol Grounds. Sund also testified that at the same time, “we observed a large group of individuals approaching the West Front of the Capitol.” He said, “It was immediately clear that their primary goal was to defeat our perimeter as quickly as possible and to get past the police line. This mob was like nothing I have seen in my law enforcement career. The group consisted of thousands of well-coordinated, well-equipped violent criminals. They had weapons, chemical munitions, protective equipment, explosives, and climbing gear. A number of them were wearing radio earpieces indicating a high level of coordination.” [snip]

3:37 The Pentagon sends its own security forces to guard the homes of defense leaders (source: AP reporting of internal DOD timeline). [snip]

5:02 Departure of 154 D.C. Guard members from the D.C. Armory in support of the U.S. Capitol Police. They arrive at the Capitol at 5:40, swear in with U.S. Capitol Police, and begin support operations. Walker, commander of the D.C. National Guard, says the Guard actually begins arriving at the Capitol at 5:20pm (in under 20 minutes after Walker finally gets approval at 5:08 p.m.). [snip]

5:45 Miller signs formal authorization for out-of-state Guard troops to muster and gives voice approval for deployment in support of the U.S. Capitol Police.

Unreal.