Speaking of war criminals, I appreciated Andy Worthington’s piece on “Dick” Cheney, “gone – but not forgiven.” While noting that Cheney did accurately identify Trump as dangerous, and oppose him, Andy writes:
“As the primary architect of the post-9/11 ‘war on terror,’ the unapologetic driver of the CIA’s repulsive ‘black site’ torture program, and the chief instigator of the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003, which led directly to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians, Cheney himself posed an extraordinary threat to the US republic, which he never acknowledged, and which has been noticeably absent from mainstream media coverage since his death. As well as tearing up all domestic and international laws and treaties regarding the pursuit of war and the treatment of prisoners, Cheney maintained a lifelong obsession with unfettered executive power, which, for the republic, was his most devastating legacy, as it so fundamentally weakened the checks and balances built into the Constitution, and, ironically, paved the way for Donald Trump to so breezily assume that there ought to be no constraints on his own power.”
Now, Trump is sending his War Department to “interview” the 6 Congress members he threatened with death last week because they, correctly, reminded people in the military that they are obligated to disobey illegal orders.
Bob Keilbach, a leader of Veterans for Peace, writes about the illegitimate US attacks on boats off Venezula:
Six more people were killed Nov. 9 in U.S. military strikes, in what Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed without evidence were boats smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, bringing the total death toll from such reported attacks to at least 76 since early September. The nine-week campaign includes at least 19 attacks in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The strikes have come amid President Trump’s deployment of warships and thousands of troops off the coast of Venezuela and follow his approval of covert CIA action and threats to attack and effect regime change inside the oil-rich country. World leaders, the United Nations and human rights groups have condemned the boat bombings as extrajudicial assassination, murder and war crimes…Administration officials have admitted that they aren’t attempting to identify people aboard boats before or after bombing them. Most damning is that the administration is not making any effort to imprison survivors of the strikes or prosecute them because they couldn’t provide any evidence of actual trafficking.
And this Secretary of War is leading the onslaught:
Name: Peter Brian Hegseth
Born: June 6, 1980 Minneapolis MN
Trump Administration Position: U.S. Secretary of Defense
War Crime Charges:
- Supports use of lethal force without congressional authorization. Defends multiple strikes on Central and South America, use of military against Mexico and North Korea.
- Removed limitations on commanders, resulting in significant civilian casualties of Houthis. Closed Civilian Harm Mitigation & Response Office and Civilian Protection Center of Excellence created to prevent deaths of noncombatants. Argues military lawyers and international law unduly constrain violence in warfare.
- Advocates troops disregard Geneva Conventions. Convinced Trump to pardon servicemen accused or convicted of war crimes, calling one a hero. Defended Blackwater contractors who killed Iraqi civilians. Implies a member of his unit conducted torture with his full support. Ignored an order not to fire on Iraqi fighters.
- Defends military deployment in the U.S.
- Self-image as Christian nationalist soldier “busy killing Islamists in shithole countries.” Evangelical who views Israel-Palestine conflict through biblical lens.
- Supports new rules threatening journalists if they did not sign agreements that would punish them for soliciting or publishing information.
- Shut down efforts to address climate change, removed mentions of diversity from Pentagon website. Describes equal opportunity, political correctness as ideological garbage.
- Forced to resign from Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America in the face of allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual impropriety and misconduct. Paid financial settlement to woman who accused him of rape.
Associations:
- 2002-21 Army National Guard combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, including operations in Guantanamo Bay. Deployed as infantry platoon leader to Iraq, captain to Afghanistan.
- 2016 Forced to resign from Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America in the face of serious allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual impropriety and misconduct. Received 6-figure severance payment and signed non-disclosure agreement.
- 2013-16 President, Concerned Veterans for America (backed by billionaire Koch brothers).
- 2008-16 Exec Dir/President Vets for Freedom, advocated expanding war in Iraq.
- 2014 Fox News contributor and co-host Fox and Friends Weekend.
- 2012 Captain State National Guard, active duty to train Afghan security forces.
- 2004 Deployed to Guantánamo Bay where he oversaw platoon of soldiers guarding detainees.
- Worked at ill-fated investment bank Bear Stearns.
