Trump’s pardons for servicemen raise fears that laws of war are history
Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance changed out of the drab inmate’s uniform he had worn for six years Friday and left the military prison at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas a free man. He arrived minutes later at a nearby hotel, where his family swallowed him in a group embrace, crying tears of joy.
But many in the military, especially in military legal circles, are not celebrating. Trump’s reprieves, issued against the advice of top defense officials, were seen as a sign of disregard not only for the decisions of military juries but also for the judicial process itself. Lorance was convicted at trial in 2013 for ordering the shooting of a group of civilians in Afghanistan, an order he then tried to cover up. He was given a full pardon.
Many senior military leaders felt the pardons sent the wrong message, said Phillip Carter, an Iraq War veteran who researches military issues at the Rand Corp. “It has happened after every war,” Osler said. “Pardons are used as a way to forgive the crime and heal the nation. What is different now is, the signal here seems to be to embrace the crime, not forgive it. President Trump seems to be sending a message that the gloves are off, that we are not going to constrain our military.”
But for other veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, the pardons only brought back grim memories of violence and a counterinsurgency doctrine that often blurred moral lines.
Indonesia Berita Terbaru, Indonesia Berita utama
Similar News:Anda juga dapat membaca berita serupa dengan ini yang kami kumpulkan dari sumber berita lain.
Trump intervenes in military justice cases, grants pardonsPresident Donald Trump has pardoned a former U.S. Army commando set to stand trial next year in the killing of a suspected Afghan bomb-maker and a former Army lieutenant convicted of murder for ordering his men to fire upon three Afghans, killing two, the White House announced late Friday. The commander
Baca lebih lajut »
Trump pardons Army officers, restores Navy SEAL's rank in war crimes casesPresident Donald Trump pardoned two Army officers accused of war crimes in Afghanistan and restored the rank of a Navy SEAL platoon commander who was demoted for actions in Iraq
Baca lebih lajut »
Trump pardons servicemembers in high profile war crimes casesDonald Trump granted pardons to Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance and Maj. Mathew Golsteyn. He reversed a demotion of Edward Gallagher, a Navy Seal.
Baca lebih lajut »
Pete Buttigieg hits Trump on soldiers' pardonsPete Buttigieg tore into President Donald Trump for pardoning two Army officers who were accused or found guilty of war crimes
Baca lebih lajut »
Don’t make the same crucial resume mistake senior Trump official Mina Chang reportedly madeThe State Department worker appears to have embellished her educational achievements — and even faked a Time cover
Baca lebih lajut »