Tag Archives: war crimes

Reuters reports:  The United States will withdraw or deny visas to any International Criminal Court personnel investigating possible war crimes by U.S. forces or allies in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday. The court, which sits in The Hague, responded that it was an independent and impartial institution and would continue to do its work “undeterred” by …

The Military Times reports: Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) blocked passage of a resolution on Tuesday that classified attacks on cultural sites as “war crimes.” Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) tried to get unanimous consent to pass the resolution, arguing that the Senate should go on record amid Trump’s threats to target Iranian cultural sites. Under the Senate’s …

“They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to maim our people. They’re allowed to blow up everything that we have and there’s nothing that stops ’em. “And we are, according to various laws, supposed to be very careful with their cultural heritage and you know what, if that’s what the law is, I like to obey the law. “But …

The Washington Post reports: In his first big foreign policy test since his landslide election victory, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Monday that Britain will not support President Trump’s threat to target cultural sites in Iran. Johnson is trying to perform a balancing act. He is under pressure to support Trump and the United States, Britain’s closest ally. He very …

The New York Times reports: U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday stood by his threat to go after Iranian cultural sites, warning of a “major retaliation” if Iran strikes back for the killing of one of its top military commanders. The president, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, also threatened sanctions against U.S. ally Iraq after its parliament called …

The New York Times reports: A year ago, Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher was wearing drab prison scrubs at a brig near San Diego, facing murder charges that could have sent him to prison for the rest of his life. Now he is modeling his own lifestyle clothing brand, endorsing nutrition supplements and positioning himself as a conservative …

The New York Times today published a gripping account of how a group of Navy SEALs decided to break their code of silence and report the war crimes of fellow SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who has since become a folk hero in Trump World. Here’s the opening paragraphs: The Navy SEALs showed up one by one, wearing hoodies and T-shirts instead …

Law & Crime reports: Former Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher met with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at their Mar-a-Lago resort over the weekend. Gallagher and his wife Andrea posted pictures of the meeting on Instagram, saying they gave the first couple a present and thanked POTUS for defending Gallagher throughout his war crimes trial. Gallagher was acquitted …

Politico reports: The military’s top officer today defended efforts to maintain discipline in the ranks amid stiff questioning from lawmakers on whether President Donald Trump’s intervention in the cases of three service members accused or convicted of war crimes will create chaos on the battlefield. “We do maintain, and we will maintain, good order and discipline,” Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. …

The military site Task & Purpose reports: A plan to boost the number of elite Navy SEAL platoons that could deploy across the globe remains in limbo months after the effort was halted by a string of high-profile scandals. The plan was viewed as a positive step toward meeting the demands placed on the highly trained community. More platoons could …

Newsweek reports: “I think what we’re seeing now is the tip of the iceberg, and United American Patriots is supporting those warriors who have been improperly accused of war crimes and unjustly convicted,” said retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel David “Bull” Gurfein, the chairman and CEO of United American Patriots, in a phone call with Newsweek. The non-profit charity which funds …

“Here’s a guy who dedicated his entire life to defending his country, who represented one of the most elite units we have. Let’s say he made a mistake. “The question the president is saying is, is that a big enough mistake to take away his symbol — the trident — of being a SEAL, and in effect have him retire …

CBS News reports: Richard Spencer, the former secretary of the Navy, said he was fired before he could resign over the president’s decision to intervene in an internal review of a Navy SEAL convicted of posing with the corpse, and downplayed a supposed backchannel offer to the White House that served as the justification for his ouster. “I never threatened …

The Daily Beast reports: If Donald Trump gets his wish, he’ll soon take the three convicted or accused war criminals he spared from consequence on the road as special guests in his re-election campaign, according to two sources who have heard Trump discuss their potential roles for the 2020 effort. Despite military and international backlash to Trump’s Nov. 15 clemency—fallout …

The Hill reports: President Trump on Monday defended his intervention in cases involving U.S. service members accused of war crimes, telling reporters he needed to “protect our warfighters.” “A lot of warfighters and people in the military have thanked us very much. It’s about time,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. “They wanted …

The Associated Press reports: Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday that President Donald Trump gave him a direct order to allow a Navy SEAL accused of war crimes to retire without losing his SEAL status. Esper told reporters at the Pentagon that Trump’s verbal order was the reason Esper announced Sunday that Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher would be allowed …

ABC News reports: The top U.S. general said on Monday that as far as he was concerned the case of a Navy SEAL convicted of battlefield misconduct in Iraq was now closed, a day after Defense Secretary Mark Esper fired the Navy’s top civilian over the saga. Esper fired Navy Secretary Richard Spencer on Sunday over his handling of the …

Fox News reports: Defense Secretary Mark Esper fired Navy Secretary Richard Spencer Sunday over his handling of the case of a Navy SEAL who posed for a photo next to an Islamic State terrorist’s corpse in Iraq, and the SEAL will be able to keep his Trident pin, a Pentagon spokesman said Sunday. “Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper has …

Axios reports: The Navy has been informed that the White House will not intervene to halt the SEALs from removing Chief Petty Officer Eddie Gallagher from their unit, AP reports. The backstory: Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer and the Navy SEALs’ leading admiral Collin Green have threatened to resign or be fired if President Trump stops plans to expel …

Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post reports: Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher thanked President Trump for intervening in his war crimes case and said top brass in the elite commando unit are retaliating against him. “I’m overjoyed he stepped in again, being the leader he is,” Gallagher told “Fox & Friends” during an interview on Sunday. “It’s all about retaliation.” Trump tweeted …