Pete Hegseth's Promotion to Secretary of War Raises Questions About Alleged War Crimes
In September, Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of War, posted a video showing a new bronze plaque on his door with the title "Secretary of War." The move was widely seen as a self-conceit-driven gesture by Trump, who had previously issued an executive order that carried no legal weight. Critics argue that Hegseth's actions demonstrate a lack of understanding about war crimes.
The controversy centers around Hegseth's role in authorizing drone strikes against two men in the Caribbean after nine crew members of their boat were killed. The Washington Post reported that Hegseth had given the order for the strike, which was later confirmed by Adm Frank M "Mitch" Bradley, who gave the order. Hegseth denied knowledge of the second strike.
Former Jags Working Group, a group of former military officers, issued a statement saying that the giving and execution of orders, if true, constitute war crimes, murder, or both. The group was established in response to Secretary of Defense's firing of army and air force judge advocates general and his dismantling of the military's legal guardrails.
Hegseth has long been criticized for his views on war crimes, particularly avoiding accountability for them. He wrote that US soldiers should not fight by rules written by dignified men in mahogany rooms eighty years ago. In his book, he recounted his contempt for being briefed in Iraq by a JAG officer giving guidance about the rules of engagement.
Trump granted Hegseth three acts of clemency on November 15th, 2019, after Hegseth lobbied for pardons for Eddie Gallagher and others accused of war crimes. Some Republicans have defended the attack as "righteous," but Democrats have called for its public release and Hegseth's dismissal.
The controversy raises questions about whether Hegseth believes that war crimes exist or if he is willfully ignorant of them. His actions and statements suggest a lack of understanding about the gravity of war crimes and their consequences.
The case highlights the need for accountability in the military and government, particularly when it comes to authorizing drone strikes and other forms of lethal action. It also raises concerns about the Trump administration's approach to national security and its willingness to disregard international law.
As the investigation into Hegseth's actions continues, one thing is clear: his promotion to Secretary of War has sparked a constitutional crisis that will have far-reaching consequences for the US military and government.
In September, Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of War, posted a video showing a new bronze plaque on his door with the title "Secretary of War." The move was widely seen as a self-conceit-driven gesture by Trump, who had previously issued an executive order that carried no legal weight. Critics argue that Hegseth's actions demonstrate a lack of understanding about war crimes.
The controversy centers around Hegseth's role in authorizing drone strikes against two men in the Caribbean after nine crew members of their boat were killed. The Washington Post reported that Hegseth had given the order for the strike, which was later confirmed by Adm Frank M "Mitch" Bradley, who gave the order. Hegseth denied knowledge of the second strike.
Former Jags Working Group, a group of former military officers, issued a statement saying that the giving and execution of orders, if true, constitute war crimes, murder, or both. The group was established in response to Secretary of Defense's firing of army and air force judge advocates general and his dismantling of the military's legal guardrails.
Hegseth has long been criticized for his views on war crimes, particularly avoiding accountability for them. He wrote that US soldiers should not fight by rules written by dignified men in mahogany rooms eighty years ago. In his book, he recounted his contempt for being briefed in Iraq by a JAG officer giving guidance about the rules of engagement.
Trump granted Hegseth three acts of clemency on November 15th, 2019, after Hegseth lobbied for pardons for Eddie Gallagher and others accused of war crimes. Some Republicans have defended the attack as "righteous," but Democrats have called for its public release and Hegseth's dismissal.
The controversy raises questions about whether Hegseth believes that war crimes exist or if he is willfully ignorant of them. His actions and statements suggest a lack of understanding about the gravity of war crimes and their consequences.
The case highlights the need for accountability in the military and government, particularly when it comes to authorizing drone strikes and other forms of lethal action. It also raises concerns about the Trump administration's approach to national security and its willingness to disregard international law.
As the investigation into Hegseth's actions continues, one thing is clear: his promotion to Secretary of War has sparked a constitutional crisis that will have far-reaching consequences for the US military and government.
He's really getting under my skin about this drone strike thing... Like, if he didn't know what was going on, how does he expect us to trust him with our war efforts? It feels like a huge lack of integrity to me... What happened to taking responsibility for your actions, you know? 
I'm literally fuming about this guy Pete Hegseth! Can you believe he's promoting himself as Secretary of War with some fancy new plaque on his door? It's like, dude, you're not even taking responsibility for your own alleged war crimes! 
And don't even get me started on the fact that Trump is backing him up. It's a total power grab.
It just comes off as some weird narcissistic move. And then there's the whole war crime thing... I don't know how he can just claim ignorance about something like that when there are people out there who have been killed in drone strikes. It's not like they're exactly invisible or unknown. And now with him being the Secretary of War, it's like, what even is the point? Is this some kind of joke? 
The fact that Trump granted him clemency after lobbying for Eddie Gallagher and others accused of war crimes just shows how tone-deaf he's been from the start. And the Republicans who are defending it as "righteous" just make me roll my eyes... like, come on guys, get some critical thinking skills in there 
The whole thing is just a mess right now 
. i mean, he's now in charge of the war department and we know he's got some questionable views on accountability for war crimes 
. it just feels like he's getting away with some stuff and nobody's holding him accountable 
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. we need to make sure that people are held to a high standard when it comes to making life-or-death decisions, especially when it involves international law 
. it's not just about Hegseth or trump, it's about setting a precedent for what kind of behavior is acceptable in positions of power 
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and his whole thing about rules from mahogany rooms 80 years ago is like, what even is that bro?