Pentagon Sends Troops to DC: Stars and Stripes

Protests sweep throughout the United States after a handcuffed man died in police custody in Minneapolis. Onlookers filmed and pleaded with police officers to stop, after one held his knee to the back of the man’s neck for more than eight minutes. Some extremists disrupt the peaceful protests, and Donald Trump, stating he wanted to end rioting and property destruction, ordered active-duty troops to prepare to enter Washington, DC. “Senior Pentagon officials on Tuesday said those troops – primarily military police and combat engineers – never entered Washington and are unlikely to do so unless the more than 2,000 National Guard troops operating in the city prove to be insufficient to aid the law enforcement response in the capital,” reports Corey Dickstein for Stars and Stripes. “One senior defense official said the troops moved into the region were deployed indefinitely and were on 'alert status,' meaning they could be tasked at any moment to respond.” Most politicians and military leaders prefer that the government rely on police and National Guard to quiet civil unrest and avoid the bad optics of using military against citizens. More than 20,000 National Guard troops have been activated in 28 states, and the National Guard chief noted that such missions are among their most difficult. – YaleGlobal