U.S. hikes National Guard to address D.C. unrest, readies active duty troops

The U.S. military is boosting the number of National Guard forces deploying to Washington, D.C., and, in an extraordinary move, has readied active-duty troops to potentially respond to protests over the death of an African-American man in police custody, a senior defense official said on Monday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested the hope was that there would be no need to deploy active-duty personnel, which include military police and engineering units who were now in the National Capital Region around Washington but outside the city itself.

"A decision to put active-duty troops on the streets would have to be made by the President at this point," the official said.