As a Fox News contributor, he persuaded Trump to intervene in the cases of three service members accused of crimes. Would he do it again as defense secretary?

Summary

Concerns have emerged over Trump’s defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth, who has criticized the Geneva Conventions and U.S. military rules of engagement as overly restrictive.

Critics, including retired military officers, argue his rhetoric could undermine the military’s commitment to lawful conduct and accountability.

Hegseth has supported pardons for service members convicted of war crimes and questioned the application of international laws to extremist adversaries.

While Hegseth claims he does not condone war crimes, experts worry his stance could confuse troops and erode core military principles.

  • SarcasticMan@lemmy.world
    4·
    2 days ago

    The US response to Israel’s actions in Gaza and the rest of the region should be a straightforward example of what the “Defender of Democracy” is okay with. I imagine war crimes will just be the tip of the spear.

    • jonne@infosec.pub
      2·
      1 day ago

      Yeah, if anyone still believed that ‘international law’ and ‘rules based world order’ were real, the war in Gaza should prove that those laws only existed to enforce colonialism, and weren’t ever meant to apply to the US or its allies.