A man trains in front of the Fort McNair Military Center, March 19, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo / Jacquelyn Martin)
The Iranian regime made threats against Fort McNair, an army outpost in the US capital.And against the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, two senior US intelligence officials said.
They noted that communications intercepted by the National Security Agency (NSA) in January showed that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard had talked about the possibility of “USS Cole-style attacks” against the center, referring to the October 2000 suicide attack in which a small boat stopped next to the Yemeni Navy destroyer. In the port of Aden, it exploded and killed 17 sailors.
The intelligence data also revealed death threats to General Joseph Martin and plans to infiltrate and monitor facilities, according to the officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly about national security matters and testify on condition of anonymity.. The military center, one of the oldest sites in the country, is Martin’s official residence.
These threats are one of the reasons the military has tightened security at Fort McNair, adjacent to the bustling and newly developed waterfront district of Washington.
City officials rejected the Army’s plan to add a buffer zone between 75 and 150 meters (250 and 500 feet) off the shore of the Washington Canal., Which will limit access to half the width of the busy waterway parallel to the Potomac River.
The Pentagon, the National Security Council, and the National Security Agency did not respond or decline to comment on the matter when contacted by the Associated Press.
The District of Columbia authorities sought to reinforce security along the canal. But the military only provided vague information about the threats to the post.
In a hypothetical January meeting to examine the proposed restrictions, Maj. Gen. Omar Jones, the commander of the Washington Military District, cited “credible and specific” threats against military commanders living in the facilities. The only specific security threat he displayed was to a swimmer who arrived at the center and was arrested.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, The only representative of the region in Congress, he was skeptical.
National Guard soldiers guard the US Capitol after the House of Representatives toppled US President Donald Trump in Washington. January 14, 2021. (Reuters) / Joshua Roberts
“When it comes to swimmers, I’m sure that’s strange. Did he know where he is?” He asked, “Maybe he was just swimming and hitting your shore?”
Jones admitted that the swimmer “wasn’t a great example there, but he was our most recent example.” From violating safety regulations.
Meanwhile, bewildered city officials and frustrated residents said the military’s request for the buffer zone was a government bypassing public waterways.
With AP info
Read on:
The success of the United States in its negotiations with Iran requires a global, bipartisan approach between Washington and Brussels
The Iranian regime refused to participate in a meeting with the United States and European powers to renegotiate the nuclear agreement
Russia, the big player Biden must contemplate in order to reach a new nuclear agreement with Iran
