Members of the National Guard at the US Capitol in Washington, January 19, 2021. Bloomberg
Members of the National Guard at the US Capitol in Washington, January 19, 2021. Bloomberg
Members of the National Guard at the US Capitol in Washington, January 19, 2021. Bloomberg
Members of the National Guard at the US Capitol in Washington, January 19, 2021. Bloomberg

Twelve National Guard members pulled from inauguration duty after vetting


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A dozen members of the US National Guard have been removed from duty at the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden after vetting, which included screening for ties to right-wing extremism, Pentagon officials said on Tuesday.

There was no threat to Mr Biden, they said.

All 12 were found to have ties to right-wing militia groups or posted extremist views online, two officials told AP

The senior intelligence official and another from the Army did not say to which fringe group the Guard members belonged or in what unit they served in.

But Gen Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard, confirmed on Tuesday that the Guard members had been removed and sent home.

But Gen Hokanson said only two were for removed for inappropriate comments or texts related to the inauguration.

The other 10 were for issues that might involve previous criminal activity, but not directly related to the inaugural event.

The officials said the 12 had all been removed because of “security liabilities".

It is unclear whether they will face discipline when they return home.

The National Guard Bureau referred questions to the US Secret Service.

"Due to operational security, we do not discuss the process nor the outcome of the vetting of military members supporting the inauguration," the bureau said.

The Secret Service would not comment.

On Sunday, acting Defence Secretary Chris Miller said the FBI was assisting the US military in vetting more than 25,000 National Guard troops being sent to protect the US capital.

"As is normal for military support to large security events, the department will vet National Guardsmen who are in Washington," Mr Miller said on Monday.

"While we have no intelligence indicating an insider threat, we are leaving no stone unturned in securing the capital.

"This type of vetting often takes place through law enforcement for significant security events. However, in this case the scope of military participation is unique."

The vetting began last week to help address concerns over possible insider attacks.

The FBI is also working to see if any attackers from the January 6 riot at the US Capitol are current service members.

Last week, the Virginia National Guard said that Jacob Fracker, an off-duty police officer charged in connection with the violent riot at the Capitol, was a corporal in the state's Guard and served as an infantryman.

There will be about 25,000 members of the National Guard stationed in Washington when Mr Biden is sworn in on Wednesday.

The FBI has said there is a potential for follow-up attacks after the Capitol riot.

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THE SPECS

Engine: 4.0L twin-turbo V8

Gearbox: eight-speed automatic

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NYBL PROFILE

Company name: Nybl 

Date started: November 2018

Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence

Initial investment: $500,000

Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)

Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up 

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HOW TO WATCH

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Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov

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Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality

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Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)

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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

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Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

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Price: From Dh149,900

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Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell

Favourite music: Classical

Hobbies: Reading and writing

 

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Name: Kumulus Water
 
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Neil Thomson – THE BIO

Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.

Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.

Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.

Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.

Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.

Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS

Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)

Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)

Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)

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Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)

Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)

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Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)

Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)

Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)

Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)

Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Bio

Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”

Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”

Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”

Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”