ISTANBUL

The Trump administration is weighing the establishment of a National Guard quick reaction unit designed for swift deployment to US cities facing demonstrations or civil disturbances, The Washington Post said in its report published on Tuesday.

Pentagon documents obtained by the newspaper detail plans for a "Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force" comprising 600 soldiers who would remain continuously ready for mobilization in under one hour.

According to the proposal, troops would form two battalions of 300 soldiers each, stationed at military bases in Alabama and Arizona, to oversee territories on either side of the Mississippi River.

The draft documents, prepared by Guard personnel and marked as preliminary, contain a thorough examination of potential social consequences and date from late July to early August.

The proposal comes after US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Washington's local police would be placed under federal control and that National Guard troops would be deployed to address what he described as a "public safety emergency."

Trump decided to deploy 800 National Guard troops to the US capital, suggesting more could follow if needed. He claimed the city "has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals."