Pentagon appoints convicted January 6 rioter to sensitive counterterrorism role

The Pentagon has appointed Elias Irizarry, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, to a sensitive national security position focused on counterterrorism. This decision has reportedly raised concerns among Pentagon insiders regarding his past actions.

Irizarry has been assigned to the US Department of Defense's special operations and low intensity conflict office, an entity that manages highly classified military operations. The Washington Post first reported the appointment, publishing a photograph of Irizarry at the Capitol riot wearing a pro-Donald Trump hat. At 19, Irizarry was part of the mob that sought to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

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In the case of rescue/extraction missions, it can place our special operators in some of the most complex and dangerous environments we ask of them. To put someone so junior and new to DoD, and with such a checkered background, into such a sensitive portfolio raises serious questions for leadership.

Although Irizarry expressed regret and apologized in court, the judge presiding over his case criticized him for not intervening to stop the violence despite being in a position to do so. Since then, Irizarry has graduated from the Citadel military academy. The exact circumstances leading to his appointment remain unclear, but Pentagon officials are said to be dismayed that an individual involved in the assault on US democracy could be placed in such a critical role.

Irizarry is expected to work within a counterterrorism and irregular warfare team of approximately 40 individuals, responsible for tasks such as embassy security, personnel recovery, and hostage rescue. One anonymous source expressed concern to the newspaper, stating that placing a junior individual with a "checkered background" in such a sensitive portfolio raises serious questions for leadership. However, Joel Valdez, the Pentagon's acting press secretary, defended the appointment, calling Irizarry a "qualified, patriotic young professional." Valdez also criticized the Washington Post's reporting, accusing the newspaper of disregarding national security.

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Mr Elias Irizarry is a qualified, patriotic young professional, and we are proud to have him as a political appointee at the Department of War. Unlike Mr Irizarry, the Washington Post does not care about national security given its track record of low-tier reporters publishing and soliciting classified information that could hurt our nation on a daily basis.