Pentagon cracks down on extremism in its ranks: report

Following the Jan. 6 attack on the United Sates Capitol, the United States Department of Defense is taking action to weed out extremists from the ranks.

"Warning that extremism in the ranks is increasing, Pentagon officials are issuing detailed new rules prohibiting service members from actively engaging in extremist activities. The new guidelines come nearly a year after some current and former service members participated in the riot at the U.S. Capitol, triggering a broad department review," the AP reported.

Citing "senior defense officials," the AP reported, " new policy lays out in detail the banned activities, which range from advocating terrorism or supporting the overthrow of the government to fundraising or rallying on behalf of an extremist group or 'liking' or reposting extremist views on social media."

There are questions about the slow Pentagon response on Jan. 6.

"The military has long been aware of small numbers of white supremacists and other extremists among the troops. But Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other leaders launched a broader campaign to root out extremism in the force after it became clear that military veterans and some current service members were present at the Jan. 6 insurrection," the AP reported.