Donald Trump’s threats to carry out mass bombing of civilian infrastructure in Iran present US military officers with a dilemma: disobey orders or help commit war crimes.
It is an urgent matter for the US chain of command. In an expletive-laden threat, Trump set a Tuesday 8pm Washington time deadline for the Iranian government to open the strait of Hormuz or face “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one”.
There is little debate among legal experts that such an attack on the life-supporting infrastructure for 93 million Iranians would constitute a war crime.
“Such rhetorical statements – if followed through – would amount to the most serious war crimes – and thus the president’s statements place service members in a profoundly challenging situation,” two former judge advocate general (JAG) officers, Margaret Donovan and Rachel VanLandingham wrote on the website Just Security on Monday.
“As former uniformed military lawyers who advised targeting operations, we know the president’s words run counter to decades of legal training of military personnel and risk placing our warfighters on a path of no return.”
I’m not saying it’s easy, but it is simple. Disobey illegal orders.
Exactly. It’s not an “urgent matter for the chain of command”, it’s a settled matter of policy predicated on the unlawful murder of millions.
Agreed. I regret that the consequences for doing the right thing could be very high, but doesn’t it just seem like case in so many instances? What a backwards species humans are. No consequences for the guy causing all of the problems but how dare you do the right thing to everyone who rightfully objects.
No one wants to be excluded from the group, that’s our nature. It means immediate end of career and likely a bunch of hate speech and death threats to the first officer who openly says “no, I refuse that order,” so I can understand why no one has done it….but it’s also the WHOLE FUCKING OATH so I can’t believe no one has done it. More will follow unless we let this purge continue quietly
Removed by mod
That’s not a “dilemma.” You don’t commit war crimes. You absolutely have the right and the duty to refuse illegal orders
I genuinely didn’t expect that level of “both sides”-ism from The Guardian.
Removed by mod
Been a long time since then. It ain’t that they forgot, it’s that they think it shouldn’t be their problem
Operation Paperclip showed them that there can be exceptions written into literally any rule including mass murder, so of course they all assume they’ll be pardoned.
aren’t they illegal orders?
the kind of orders where following them would be committing war crimes
placing our warfighters on a path of no return
Can we go back to calling them soldiers?
You can call them service members, implying they are selflessly performing some vital service for us! You must spread the propaganda through deliberate misuse of language!
Protecting our freedom! From, uh, who is at this time, Iran? That doesn’t sound right. Well, usa, usa, usa! Big /S
They know the rules, and several elected officials reminded them in video messages that were very controversial.
They are walking into this with their eyes wide open, knowing the entire world is watching. If they accept those orders, and carry them out, they know it will not be forgotten, they will be punished for it eventually. They deserve no mercy if they follow that path.
They are going to automate weaponry so soldiers never face a moral dilemma and get in the way of the war machine.
More like this with MAGA brainwash
Reminds me of what’s that show, the one without canned laughter, in Orange County California where the dumb brother joins the Army and is running Drone operations and they suspect his morality, suspecting he has some, and try to force him to crush a kitten and he refuses and they kick him out.
Thanks you fucking maga idiots. We all told you what was up and you ignored us.
They also ignored all their teachers.
That’s how they became MAGAts.
Pedophile orders you to commit war crimes for which you know you eventually WILL be judged…
Mmmmm, that IS a tough one…
Its not a hard choice, don’t commit war crimes
The orange cancer won’t be here forever. You commit war crimes, you will find yourself on a very unpleasant trial.
Grow some fucking spines. You commit these war crimes on the demand of a pedophile rapist felon, then you deserve the same fate. You will be a disgrace, a pariah.
Everyone with a functioning brain-cell knows that Trump is going to throw kegsbreath under the bus to save himself, and I for one can’t wait to see his smug slick backed face hung for war crimes.
Hanged. Ain’t no way this textbook case of overcompensating masculine fragility is hung, lbr.
I bet all those big macho MAGAs are breaking down the doors at the recruiting office, riiiight?
Minneapolis trials with public hangings or no justice no peace
This guy gets it. Unless the justice is dispensed severely and publicly, it’ll all just happen again.
Officers now have to decide whether or not to commit war crimes? Wow, that is a dilemma, I wouldn’t want to be forced to make that decision. This article does a really good job humanizing their struggle, you can’t help but feel bad for them.
