Fired 3 JAGS who may not agree with what a lawful order is. Another troubling sign he keeps repeating the term lawful order like if dt says it, it is lawful and we only want JAGS that understand that Trump Delivers Bad News to Generals Behind Afghanistan Withdrawal Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently stated that three terminated judge advocates general (JAGs) had been viewed as potential "roadblocks" to President Donald Trump’s orders. The JAGs were responsible for providing independent legal guidance to military officers, ensuring compliance with U.S. and international laws. Hegseth noted the need for competent legal advice that supports lawful orders. Hegseth stated, “It’s not about roadblocks to an agenda," adding, “It’s roadblocks to orders that are given by a commander in chief.” Hegseth said, “Ultimately, I want the best possible lawyers in each service to provide the best possible recommendations, no matter what, to lawful orders that are given.” The Pentagon’s actions have drawn criticism, with some legal scholars expressing concern over the implications of removing military lawyers. Georgetown Law professor Rosa Brooks remarked that such firings could indicate an intent to circumvent legal oversight. She wrote, “It’s what you do when you’re planning to break the law: You get rid of any lawyers who might try to slow you down.”
who doesn't support a few war crimes? I mean Geneva convention is so yesteryear. We can let AI decide who to shoot, new JAG says so, or we will get another one.. sounds like a guy Putin would love @uftaipan How do you think the officer corps feels about this? Pete Hegseth to overhaul US military lawyers in effort to relax rules of war The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is expected in the coming weeks to start a sweeping overhaul of the judge advocate general’s corps as part of an effort to make the US military less restricted by the laws of armed conflict, according to two people familiar with the matter. The changes are poised to have implications across the military, as Hegseth’s office considers changes to the interpretation of the US rules of engagement on the battlefield to the way that charges are brought under the military justice system. ........................... But remaking the Jag corps is a priority for Hegseth, who on Friday commissioned his personal lawyer and former naval officer Tim Parlatore as a navy commander to oversee the effort carrying the weight and authority of the defense secretary’s office. The commission is as a reservist in the Jag corps and he will continue to run his private practice outside his military obligations. Parlatore previously defended Donald Trump for mishandling classified documents and former Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher on war crimes charges. The overhaul of the Jag corps will be aimed at retraining military lawyers, the people said, so that they provide more expansive legal advice to commanders to pursue more aggressive tactics and take a more lenient approach in charging soldiers with battlefield crimes.
Not all that surprising. A Secretary of Defense who doesn't believe that the law matters firing the senior military officers whose job it is to interpret the law and provide legal advice.
I sincerely hope that I'm wrong but it's not beyond that the realm of possibility that US troops could end up committing otherwise avoidable war crimes. It's essentially Hegseth's position that the Geneva Conventions do not matter.
So a Fox "News" talking head will do an "overhaul" of the JAG Corp to make it more Trump-friendly criminal-friendly. Cool, so in 3.5 or 7.5 years, or whenever, we'll repeat the process (but hopefully more thoroughly) and purge the government of all the criminals that the Trump stooges have appointed to ..... pretty much everywhere. Then I guess nobody will trust the POTUS who led that, even though there's pretty much no chance he's a criminal like the convicted felon Trump. So we're basically on a newly created cycle of shit, thanks to the rapey felon Trump, who also happens to be the only sitting POTUS in US history to try to overturn an election. Good work, MAGA. (At weakening America. In service to your criminal idol.)
Translation: I agree with policy of the Trump/Hegseth DOD under which compliance with the law is optional and lawyers would just get in the way.
and at the same time he would lose his mind if a D potus did the exact same thing. Not about principle, it's about power.
saw a headline today that Trump is ordering the military to draw up plans for retaking the Panama Canal… probably a war crime…
