华盛顿——国防部官员周二表示，由于可能的暴力威胁依然存在，五角大楼将批准将美国国会大厦的国民警卫队部署延长约两个月。
官员们表示，最终细节正在制定中，但国防部长劳埃德·奥斯汀预计将最终批准警卫部队应国会警察的请求，继续在华盛顿提供安全保障。随着3月12日离开华盛顿的原定最后期限临近，官员们最近几天一直在努力确定是否以及如何满足2000多名警卫成员的请求。
这一决定凸显了对国会大厦安全的担忧，两个月前，暴徒在一次袭击中闯入大楼，造成五人死亡。针对民兵组织可能对国会大厦构成威胁的情报，执法部门保持了高度的安全态势。
延长部署的请求上周遇到了阻力，因为一些州长表示不情愿或断然拒绝让他们的部队在该市停留更多时间。国防部官员说，现在似乎有足够多的州愿意为这项任务提供警卫部队，他们要求匿名，以讨论内部审议。
五角大楼首席发言人约翰·科比(John Kirby)不愿证实即将到来的批准，但表示奥斯汀预计将“非常非常快”做出决定。当被问及安全威胁时，科比说，任何决定都将基于当地执法部门的担忧以及国会警察的需求。
科比说:“这不仅仅是一个威胁评估，而是国会警察现在可能缺乏的援助和支持能力，可能需要考虑改进。”他补充说，延期请求主要是基于利用国民警卫队来弥补国会警察能力的差距。
军队领导人最初还质疑国会警察是否已经用尽了所有其他选择来满足需求，例如要求其他联邦执法机构提供安全保障。但官员们表示，军方领导人认为找到解决细节的方法很重要。
周二还不清楚目前在华盛顿的警卫部队是否需要在新部队到达并接受训练和安顿时多呆一两天。
这一威胁与前总统卡农支持者宣扬的极右阴谋论有关唐纳德·特朗普将于3月4日，也就是最初的总统就职日再次掌权。那一天毫无问题地过去了，但执法部门表示，对建筑物和人员的威胁仍然存在。
国民警卫队在国会大厦的部署一直存在问题。早些时候，国民警卫队成员被迫在附近一个寒冷的车库里短暂休息和用餐，引发了拜登政府的愤怒。官员们很快在国会大楼里找到了新的休息空间。
此外，警卫成员抱怨食物不好，包括一些说他们生病了的人。周一，科比说，在部署到华盛顿的26000名警卫部队中，约有50名因胃肠道问题接受了治疗。他说，其中六人寻求门诊治疗，其余的人在为国会山任务设立的急救站接受治疗。
科尔比说，国民警卫局局长丹尼尔·霍根森将军每周都要去部队几次，并和他们一起吃饭，以确保他们得到美味的食物。
代理国会警察局长约加南达·皮特曼(Yogananda Pittman)要求警卫成员留下来，引发了与五角大楼和国民警卫队领导人的一系列讨论。
美国军方官员表示，从1月6日暴乱后不久到本周五，在美国国会大厦部署约2.6万名警卫部队的费用接近5亿美元。未来两个月的成本估算尚未公布。费用包括住房，运输工资、福利和其他必需品。
Pentagon set to OK extending Guard deployment at Capitol
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon is set to approve an extension of the National Guard deployment at the U.S. Capitol for about two more months as possible threats of violence remain, defense officials said Tuesday.
Officials said final details were being worked out, but Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to give final approval to have Guard troops continue to provide security in Washington at the request of the Capitol Police. Officials have been scrambling in recent days to determine if and how to fill the request for more than 2,000 Guard members, as the original March 12 deadline for them to leave Washington looms.
The decision underscores concerns about security at the Capitol, two months after rioters breached the building in an attack that left five people dead. Law enforcement has remained in a heightened security posture in response to intelligence suggesting possible threats to the Capitol by militia groups.
The request to extend the deployment met resistance last week, as some governors expressed reluctance or flatly refused to commit their troops to more time in the city. There now appear to be enough states willing to provide Guard troops for the mission, said the defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
Chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby would not confirm the impending approval, but said Austin is expected to make a decision “very, very soon.” Asked about the security threat, Kirby said any decision would be based on local law enforcement concerns along with the needs of the Capitol Police.
“It’s not just about a threat assessment, it's about assisting and supporting capabilities that the Capitol Police may now lack and may need to look at improving,” Kirby said, adding that the extension request was based largely on using the Guard to make up for gaps in the capabilities of the Capitol Police.
Army leaders had also initially questioned whether the Capitol Police had exhausted all other options to fill the need, such as asking other federal law enforcement agencies to provide security. But officials said military leaders thought it was important to find ways to work out the details.
It was unclear Tuesday if Guard troops currently in Washington would have to stay an extra day or two while the new forces arrive and get trained and settled in.
The threat was tied to the far-right conspiracy theory promoted by QAnon supporters that former PresidentDonald Trumpwould rise again to power on March 4, the original presidential inauguration day. That day passed with no problems, but law enforcement has said threats to buildings and personnel remain.
The Guard's deployment to the Capitol has been troubled. Early on, Guard members were briefly forced to take rest breaks and meals in a nearby cold garage, sparking outrage within the Biden administration. Officials quickly found new spaces within congressional buildings for the on-duty breaks.
In addition, Guard members complained of bad food, including some who said they became sick. On Monday, Kirby said about 50 Guard troops had been treated for gastrointestinal issues, out of the 26,000 that deployed to Washington. He said six sought outpatient medical treatment, while the rest were treated at aid stations set up for the Capitol Hill mission.
Kirby said Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, has been visiting the troops several times a week and eating with them to ensure that they were getting good food.
Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman made the request to have the Guard members stay on, setting off a series of discussions with the Pentagon and National Guard leaders.
U.S. military officials have said the cost of deploying about 26,000 Guard troops to the U.S. Capitol from shortly after the Jan. 6 riot to this Friday is close to $500 million. No cost estimate for the next two months has been released. The costs include housing,transportation, salaries, benefits and other essentials.
