- SKY NEWS - Jan 19, 2021 -
The Pentagon said the decision was made after vetting, adding not all of the dozen were withdrawn for 'ties' to extremist groups.
A dozen US Army National Guard members have been removed from duty ahead of Joe Biden's presidential inauguration - including some allegedly with ties to far-right militias.
Thousands of troops have been called in to help secure the area around Congress before Mr Biden is sworn in on Wednesday, following a deadly riot at the US Capitol where Donald Trump supporters stormed the building on 6 January.
A Pentagon spokesman said the decision to remove some National Guard members was made after a vetting process, adding not all of the 12 were withdrawn for apparent links to extremist groups.
One Guard member was removed from duty after troubling text messages and another had been reported to a tip line, said Army General Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau.
Earlier it was reported two Guard members had been pulled for ties with right-wing militias, with a US Army official and a senior US intelligence official confirming the decision but not saying what fringe group the pair belonged to or what unit they served in.
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