Washington (AFP) – National Guard troops deployed on the streets of Washington began carry weapons late Tuesday in a major change of posture ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration as US president, according to an AFP photographer. The Guard soldiers were originally mobilized to provide mostly logistical support to Washington police, and on Monday General Daniel Hokanson, Pentagon National Guard Bureau chief, said they had not been authorized yet to carry weapons. Authorizing Guard members to deploy in a law enforcement role, armed and empowered to make arrests, would be a “last resort” if the secur…
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