Man With Gun Arrested at Washington Security Checkpoint

Barbed wire is installed on the top of a security fence surrounding the US Capitol in Washington ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration | AFP
Barbed wire is installed on the top of a security fence surrounding the US Capitol in Washington ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration | AFP
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Man With Gun Arrested at Washington Security Checkpoint

Barbed wire is installed on the top of a security fence surrounding the US Capitol in Washington ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration | AFP
Barbed wire is installed on the top of a security fence surrounding the US Capitol in Washington ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration | AFP

A man with a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition has been arrested in Washington at a security checkpoint near the US Capitol, authorities said.

Wesley Allen Beeler, of Virginia, had driven to a checkpoint on Friday evening and tried to use a phony credential to access the restricted area where President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated next week, according to a document filed in Washington, DC Superior Court.

As officers checked against an authorized access list, one of them noticed decals on the back of Beeler's pick-up truck that said "Assault Life," with an image of a rifle, and another with the message: "If they come for your guns, give 'em your bullets first."

Under questioning, Beeler told officers he had a Glock handgun in the vehicle. A search uncovered a loaded handgun, more than 500 rounds of ammunition, shotgun shells, and a magazine for the gun, the court document said.

Beeler was arrested on charges including possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, a police report said.

Following his arrest, Beeler said it was "an honest mistake" and that he was a private security guard who got lost on his way to work near the Capitol.

Washington is under a high state of alert ahead of Biden's Wednesday inauguration, after a mob of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6.

Five people died in the assault, including a police officer.

Security officials have warned that armed pro-Trump extremists, possibly carrying explosives, pose a threat to Washington as well as state capitals over the coming week.

Thousands of National Guard troops have been deployed in Washington and streets have been blocked off downtown with concrete barriers.

The National Mall, which is normally packed with people every four years for presidential inaugurations, has been declared off-limits at the request of the Secret Service, which ensures the security of the president.



Iran Urges UN Nuclear Watchdog to Drop 'Double Standards'

FILED - 02 February 2025, Iran, Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visits an exhibition that showcases the defense ministry's latest advancements in defense and space in Tehran. Photo: Iranian Presidency/dpa
FILED - 02 February 2025, Iran, Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visits an exhibition that showcases the defense ministry's latest advancements in defense and space in Tehran. Photo: Iranian Presidency/dpa
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Iran Urges UN Nuclear Watchdog to Drop 'Double Standards'

FILED - 02 February 2025, Iran, Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visits an exhibition that showcases the defense ministry's latest advancements in defense and space in Tehran. Photo: Iranian Presidency/dpa
FILED - 02 February 2025, Iran, Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visits an exhibition that showcases the defense ministry's latest advancements in defense and space in Tehran. Photo: Iranian Presidency/dpa

Iran's president said on Thursday the UN nuclear watchdog should drop its "double standards" if Tehran is to resume cooperation with it over Iran's nuclear program, Iranian state media reported.

President Masoud Pezeshkian last week enacted a law suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the IAEA said it had pulled its last remaining inspectors out of Iran.

Relations between Iran and the IAEA have worsened since the United States and Israel bombed Iranian nuclear facilities in June, saying they wanted to prevent Tehran developing an atomic weapon. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only and denies seeking atomic weapons.

"The continuation of Iran's cooperation with the agency (IAEA) depends on the latter correcting its double standards regarding the nuclear file," state media quoted Pezeshkian as telling European Council President Antonio Costa by phone.

"Any repeated aggression (against Iran) will be met with a more decisive and regrettable response," he said.

Tehran accuses the IAEA of failing to condemn the attacks by the United States and Israel, and says the nuclear watchdog paved the way for the bombing by issuing a resolution declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.

"Failure to observe the principle of impartiality in reporting is one of the examples that casts doubt on the status and credibility of the IAEA," Pezeshkian said.

The bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities led to a 12-day war, during which Iran launched drones and missiles at Israel.

IAEA inspectors have not been able to inspect Iran's facilities since the bombing campaign, even though IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said it is his top priority.