
Dulles (United States) (AFP) – US security authorities organizing Donald Trump’s inauguration as president next week plan tough barriers against the kinds of jihadist-inspired truck attacks that left dozens dead last year in France and Germany.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Friday the government sees no immediate threats for the January 20 inauguration, during which close to a million people could amass in downtown Washington.
Johnson said US authorities have ramped up security preparations in light of the rise of “lone wolf” type attacks, including recent atrocities in Nice, France and Berlin, Germany in which attackers drove trucks into large crowds.
But he stressed: “We know of no specific credible threat” to the massive event.
Addressing reporters at a secure communications facility west of the capital where dozens of US agencies will coordinate security for the quadrennial event, Johnson said 700,000-900,000 people are expected, including 99 different protest groups.
Some 28,000 security officials will be deployed.