Latest news with #QuickReactionForce
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump team looking to create squad of 600 soldiers ready to deploy at a moments notice to quash civil unrest
The Trump administration is considering plans to create a squad of 600 National Guard soldiers who would be ready to deploy into U.S. cities to tackle civil unrest, according to a report. As part of the 'Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force,' troops would be equipped with weapons and riot gear, ready to deploy within an hour under the proposals, which could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post. Troops would be split in half, with 300 stationed at headquarters in Alabama and 300 in Arizona, according to the newspaper. The plans under consideration follow President Donald Trump's dispatch of the National Guard to the streets of Washington, D.C. in a bid to crack down on what he says is 'out of control' violent crime. Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles after protests flared up in June against the administration's anti-immigration agenda. That Los Angeles decision is now being debated in a courtroom after California Governor Gavin Newsom sued the Trump administration over the move. The documents were compiled by National Guard officials as recently as late July and early August, according to the Post, however, the earliest the proposals could be created and funded is the fiscal year 2027 through the Pentagon's traditional budgetary process, the documents reportedly said. It is unclear whether the plans could come into effect sooner through alternative funding. 'The Department of Defense is a planning organization and routinely reviews how the department would respond to a variety of contingencies across the globe,' a Defense official told The Independent but refused to comment further on the details. 'We will not discuss these plans through leaked documents, pre-decisional or otherwise,' the official said. Possible 'negative repercussions' of the program were reportedly discussed in the documents, which included the 'potential political sensitivities.' 'National Guard support for [Department of Homeland Security] raises potential political sensitivities, questions regarding the appropriate civil-military balance and legal considerations related to their role as a nonpartisan force,' the documents reportedly stated. Other concerns addressed a 'strain on personnel and equipment,' and reducing the availability in states for other missions. 'States may have fewer Guard members available for local emergencies (e.g., wildfires, hurricanes),' the documents said. The concept of deploying a task force was tested ahead of the 2020 election, with 600 troops put on alert in Arizona and Alabama, the Post reports. Experts said the plans marked a departure in how the National Guard is traditionally used by the government. It is not unusual for National Guard units to be deployed to support with state emergencies, including civil unrest. However, Lindsay P. Cohn, an associate professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, told the Post that the proposal was 'strange because essentially nothing is happening' right now to warrant such a move. 'Crime is going down. We don't have major protests or civil disturbances,' Cohn told the outlet, speaking in a personal capacity. 'There is no significant resistance from states' to the Trump administration's immigration policies, Cohn said. 'There is very little evidence anything big is likely to happen soon.' Details of the reported proposals come as members of the National Guard duly hit the streets of the capital Monday night, accompanied by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration officers, after Trump held a press conference announcing the plans. The White House has already claimed that the multi-agency effort, which it has dubbed 'Operation Making D.C. Safe & Beautiful,' netted at least 37 arrests on its first night, yielding four narcotics charges and the seizure of 11 illegal guns. Crime figures from the Metropolitan Police Department for the District of Columbia state that violent offenses have fallen steadily from their recent peak in 2023, last year hit their lowest level in 30 years and have continued to decline in 2025, according to preliminary data for the first half of the year. Violent crime overall is down 26 percent year-on-year for the first eight months of 2025, according to the MPDC, while robbery specifically is down 28 percent for the same period. Homicides were up to 40 for every 100,000 people in 2023, a 20-year high but still well below 1990s levels, but has since fallen in 2024 and continued to decline so far this year. Trump claimed at his press conference that 'murders in 2023 reached the highest rate probably ever,' an assertion that, when challenged, the White House said was based on 'numbers provided by the FBI.' D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called his move 'unsettling and unprecedented.' Joe Sommerlad contributed to this report
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump team looking to create squad of 600 soldiers ready to deploy at a moments notice to quash civil unrest
The Trump administration is considering plans to create a squad of 600 National Guard soldiers who would be ready to deploy into U.S. cities to tackle civil unrest, according to a report. As part of the 'Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force,' troops would be equipped with weapons and riot gear, ready to deploy within an hour under the proposals, which could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post. Troops would be split in half, with 300 stationed at headquarters in Alabama and 300 in Arizona, according to the newspaper. The plans under consideration follow President Donald Trump's dispatch of the National Guard to the streets of Washington, D.C. in a bid to crack down on what he says is 'out of control' violent crime. Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles after protests flared up in June against the administration's anti-immigration agenda. That Los Angeles decision is now being debated in a courtroom after California Governor Gavin Newsom sued the Trump administration over the move. The documents were compiled by National Guard officials as recently as late July and early August, according to the Post, however, the earliest the proposals could be created and funded is the fiscal year 2027 through the Pentagon's traditional budgetary process, the documents reportedly said. It is unclear whether the plans could come into effect sooner through alternative funding. The Independent has contacted the Department of Defense for comment. Possible 'negative repercussions' of the program were reportedly discussed in the documents, which included the 'potential political sensitivities.' 'National Guard support for [Department of Homeland Security] raises potential political sensitivities, questions regarding the appropriate civil-military balance and legal considerations related to their role as a nonpartisan force,' the documents reportedly stated. Other concerns addressed a 'strain on personnel and equipment,' and reducing the availability in states for other missions. 'States may have fewer Guard members available for local emergencies (e.g., wildfires, hurricanes),' the documents said. The concept of deploying a task force was tested ahead of the 2020 election, with 600 troops put on alert in Arizona and Alabama, the Post reports. Experts said the plans marked a departure in how the National Guard is traditionally used by the government. It is not unusual for National Guard units to be deployed to support with state emergencies, including civil unrest. However, Lindsay P. Cohn, an associate professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, told the Post that the proposal was 'strange because essentially nothing is happening' right now to warrant such a move. 'Crime is going down. We don't have major protests or civil disturbances,' Cohn told the outlet, speaking in a personal capacity. 'There is no significant resistance from states' to the Trump administration's immigration policies, Cohn said. 'There is very little evidence anything big is likely to happen soon.' Details of the reported proposals come as members of the National Guard duly hit the streets of the capital Monday night, accompanied by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration officers, after Trump held a press conference announcing the plans. The White House has already claimed that the multi-agency effort, which it has dubbed 'Operation Making D.C. Safe & Beautiful,' netted at least 37 arrests on its first night, yielding four narcotics charges and the seizure of 11 illegal guns. Crime figures from the Metropolitan Police Department for the District of Columbia state that violent offenses have fallen steadily from their recent peak in 2023, last year hit their lowest level in 30 years and have continued to decline in 2025, according to preliminary data for the first half of the year. Violent crime overall is down 26 percent year-on-year for the first eight months of 2025, according to the MPDC, while robbery specifically is down 28 percent for the same period. Homicides were up to 40 for every 100,000 people in 2023, a 20-year high but still well below 1990s levels, but has since fallen in 2024 and continued to decline so far this year. Trump claimed at his press conference that 'murders in 2023 reached the highest rate probably ever,' an assertion that, when challenged, the White House said was based on 'numbers provided by the FBI.' D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called his move 'unsettling and unprecedented.'
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Pentagon plan would create military ‘reaction force' for civil unrest: Reports
The Trump administration is evaluating plans to create a 'Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force' composed of hundreds of National Guard troops tasked with rapidly deploying into US cities facing protests or unrest, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing internal Pentagon documents.
New Straits Times
04-08-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
New sea base, tech upgrades for Sabah's Op Pasir
KUALA LUMPUR: AN operation on the eastern coast of Sabah is undergoing a major transformation by leveraging advanced surveillance technology, real-time intelligence systems and community-based reporting. Joint Forces Commander Lieutenant-General Datuk Zahani Zainal Abidin said Op Pasir had significantly expanded the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), coastal radar, and closed-circuit television systems to boost domain awareness and detection capabilities in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESS Zone). "Enhancements to the Coastal Surveillance System would allow for earlier detection of suspicious vessel movements." These upgrades, he said, formed part of Op Pasir's evolution into a tech-driven, multi-agency defence operation supported by real-time coordination between the military, police and maritime enforcement. A cornerstone of this technological shift is the introduction of the Multi Purpose Command Platform (MPCP) — a mobile sea base that will replace the ageing Tun Sharifah Rodziah Sea Base. "The MPCP is a Mobile Forward Operating Base designed to replace the existing PL Tun Sharifah Rodziah. "This platform is capable of long-duration operations and can be rapidly deployed to hotspot areas," Zahani said. With capabilities to operate helicopters, interception boats, UAVs and unmanned surface vehicles, the MPCP will serve as a launch base for Quick Reaction Force teams — drastically cutting response time to smuggling attempts, incursions and maritime criminal activity. "With the deployment of this asset, Op Pasir is expected to be conducted more efficiently and effectively, enhancing operational readiness and territorial control," Zahani said. COLLABORATIVE EFFORT First launched 25 years ago, Op Pasir is today a full-spectrum joint operation led by the Joint Forces Headquarters and executed by Joint Forces Command 2. It involves a full-strength armed forces deployment across the ESS Zone districts of Kudat, Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Semporna. Troops maintain a round-the-clock presence on 21 islands and 19 land-based security posts, supported by maritime patrols, land-based security sweeps and aerial surveillance conducted by the Royal Malaysian Air Force. "Through this integrated deployment, Op Pasir has significantly enhanced domain awareness, response time and deterrence against threats such as piracy, smuggling, cross-border intrusions and maritime terrorism in one of Malaysia's most strategically-sensitive regions," Zahani said. Operational results last year and this year reflect the effectiveness of the approach, with 11 undocumented immigrants detained in Semporna waters and multiple seizures of controlled contraband, particularly petrol and diesel, that were handed over to police for further action. "These enforcement results highlight the effectiveness of Op Pasir's patrols, thus enhancing security and law enforcement in Malaysia's maritime domain," Zahani said. Beyond tactical upgrades, Op Pasir has undergone structural reforms to improve inter-agency cooperation and community engagement. "Op Pasir now operates with a more structured collaboration among the armed forces, police, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom)," Zahani said. "The establishment of joint operations centers and real-time intelligence sharing has enabled faster and more effective responses to threats." COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACH Meanwhile, public involvement has been strengthened through programmes like Community Policing and Rakan Maritim (Maritime Friends), empowering local residents to report suspicious activity. "A community-based approach has become a core element of Op Pasir. Safety education and cooperation with community leaders foster awareness of security risks and promote timely reporting of suspicious activities," Zahani said. However, he stressed that the operation's impact went well beyond security. "By maintaining continuous security control over Sabah's maritime and land borders, Op Pasir fosters a stable environment free from intrusions, piracy and cross-border crimes. "This stability is essential for encouraging both domestic and foreign investments, thereby supporting the sustained economic and social development of local communities." "The ESS Zone encompasses key economic areas including fisheries zones, commercial ports and strategic project sites. "Through integrated monitoring and patrols, Op Pasir safeguards these critical assets from sabotage or external threats, ensuring uninterrupted national supply chains and protecting economic interests." SENSE OF SECURITY Zahani said a visible and sustained security presence helped enhance public trust and support broader government initiatives. "The consistent presence of security personnel through Op Pasir demonstrates the government's commitment to the safety of its citizens. "This effort boosts the sense of security within local communities and reinforces trust in the armed forces and other security agencies." The broader outcome, he said, was a safer, more confident Sabah that could grow in tandem with Peninsular Malaysia. "By securing the environment as a prerequisite for development, Op Pasir enables the smooth execution of government projects such as road construction, and improvements in education and healthcare facilities in rural areas." "The improved security landscape resulting from Op Pasir not only benefits local communities and national development, but also enhances international confidence in East Malaysia. "This growing trust is reflected in the increased tourism activities across Sabah, with visitors feeling safer to explore the region. "Op Pasir is not merely a border security operation, but also a catalyst for continued stability and progress in East Malaysia.
Deccan Herald
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
India makes significant pledges at UN peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin
India pledged a Quick Reaction Force company, an armed police or mixed armed police unit, one women-led Formed Police Unit and a Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices/ Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit as well as a K-9 Unit and a SWAT Police Unit. #PKMinisterial @UNPOL
