This former JAG and expert in military law who saw all the videos gives the definitive opinion

[media=https://www.youtube.com/shorts/q98p79VvEhs]

Under International Law, you only have a sustained armed conflict when there is: sustained armed conflict AND an organized, ARMED GROUP capable of military operations. Drug cartels DO NOT MEET THESE CRITERIA.

Since this is NOT A WAR and therefore the Law of Armed Conflict does NOT apply. The correct legal framework is: International Human Rights Law, Criminal Law, and UCMJ Article 1.18 (Murder).

Clearly illegal orders were given. Clearly illegal orders were followed. Clearly these are EXTRAJUDICIAL MURDERS.

It is long past time to STOP THESE ILLEGAL MURDERS, and demand that those issuing these orders and all involved in carrying them out face the full legal consequences of their actions.

This is a blemish on our military akin to the atrocities of the Nazis and Japanese in WWII and those who perpetrated those atrocities were in fact prosecuted and in many cases EXECUTED!

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FrogManSometimesLooksBothWays · M Best Comment

Hegseth should be prosecuted. He belongs behind bars. There's no statute of limitation for murder. The next Democratic Administration needs to go after him.

Don't drop the soap, pretty boy.

KunsanVeteran · M

@FrogManSometimesLooksBothWays I would need the opinions of multiple JAGs but I believe that the culpability extends far beyond Paranoid Drunkard Incompetent Petey Boy to include at least Demented Donnie, Vance, Rubio, and Bradley. I am sure that there are others.

In particular, Bradley & Kegsbreath both said that they consulted JAGs (not initially; only after their stories changed several times) and —if true (they may be lying about that), then I’d want to know what advice they were given.

tRUMP initially claimed that the orders came from him and Lyin’ Leavitt said so initially, too. Both subsequently tried to distance him from that. Kegsbreath has tried to distance himself, too (in a clumsy mess of contradictions which I am sure would not hold up in any court).

But what needs to happen IMMEDIATELY is that these extrajudicial murders and other international and maritime law crimes must STOP!

To continue in this fashion only isolates America from our allies and harms our national interests. Not to mention the guilt and mental anguish this is heaping on our Service Members.

FrogManSometimesLooksBothWays · M

@KunsanVeteran Of course, Trump has immunity. The Supreme Court gave him a stay out of jail card. Trump can do whatever the heck he wants. That's democracy?

KunsanVeteran · M

@FrogManSometimesLooksBothWays His immunity doesn’t extend to international law. If he leaves US soil, he could be arrested and held for murder trials.

I am not saying that that will ever happen, but he does not have immunity for these crimes.

Also, he cannot pardon Kegsbreath or any of the others.

FrogManSometimesLooksBothWays · M

@KunsanVeteran Can't he pardon anybody he wants? A President has the power to pardon a murderer.

KunsanVeteran · M

@FrogManSometimesLooksBothWays Not these crimes.

Kegsbreath and the others cannot be tried under the UCMJ because these crimes are not war crimes and the Laws of Armed Combat and the UCMJ do not apply. And Demented Donnie cannot pardon those convicted under the UCMJ anyway.

If it were a dual action (i.e. conviction under both American domestic laws only—then tRUMP could issue a domestic pardon, though I doubt that that could ever actually happen and would require this to be an act of war (which, again, it is NOT!)

International and Maritime laws the President has no authority to pardon or commute sentences. So, if Hegseth leaves the US or (just as a remote possibility) is kidnapped and extradited to, for instance, Venezuela then he could be tried and even executed.