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One of America's most decorated retired military officers warns President Donald Trump of plans to pardon convicted war criminals and members of the Armed Forces accused of war crimes who are still waiting to be judged.
"A pardon granted by President Trump to military members convicted of crimes on the battlefield or pending before a General Court Martial would be extremely detrimental to the values of the US armed forces," said General Barry McCaffrey, retired from the four-star group, in a column of opinion. published in the Washington Post. "He should not take this action."
McCaffrey has received three Purple Heart Medals, two Distinguished Service Crosses and two Silver Stars during his 32-year military career.
The former infantry officer carried out several rounds of combat within the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army during the Vietnam War and commanded the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division during the of the Desert Storm operation. McCaffrey then served as director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy for the administration of President Bill Clinton.
McCaffrey referred to his own fighting experience in his column and said that he was empathetic to many service members who navigated the fog of war.
"I am the first to admit that direct combat within a small unit is brutal and brutal," wrote McCaffrey. "I had four rounds of combat and been wounded three times."
"Exhausted, dirty and scared, the young troops are struggling to survive and keep their mates alive," said McCaffrey. "You are trying to destroy enemy fighters with rifles and hand grenades and retrenchment tools at close range.You do not try to make an arrest, your goal is to kill those people."
McCaffrey argues that despite the difficulty of distinguishing a friend from his enemy, "the armed forces subscribe to the rule of law".
"Our values as a fighting force require that we do not abuse detainees or prisoners of war under our control," he wrote. "Civilians and their property must be protected and we are working very hard to minimize collateral losses, which is part of our training and our code of conduct."
Read moreRetired Navy SEAL, who oversaw the Osama Bin Laden raid in 2011, said Trump "had to be very careful" when he proposed to forgive service members accused of war crimes.
Trump plans to pardon several military and military contractors around Memorial Day, the New York Times reported earlier, citing two US officials.
The White House has reportedly asked for some high-profile cases, including Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, a Navy SEAL who is expected to be tried for killing an enemy prisoner and firing on Iraqi civilians in 2017.
The rehabilitation process usually takes several months, but the Department of Justice was asked to prepare the files by the Memorial Day weekend, a senior military official told the Times. Gallagher's trial was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but he was delayed after his defense team voiced concerns over the trial's fairness.
Earlier in May, Trump had granted pardon to former US lieutenant Michael Behenna, convicted of murdering an Iraqi prisoner in 2008. Behenna had been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the unpremeditated murder of A prisoner, but his sentence was reduced to 15 years. After spending five years in prison at Fort. Leavenworth, Behenna was released on parole in 2015.
McCaffrey wrote that a pardon of war criminals convicted by Trump would tell the world that we are no longer a disciplined military force and would invalidate the principles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice imposed by Congress.
"This would indicate to foreign fighters that we accept killing or mistreatment of our own forces if we are captured," McCaffrey said.
"If he condones US personnel convicted by a military court of directly murdering unarmed detainees or civilians, he will have taken steps to dishonor our armed forces," McCaffrey said. "On this Remembrance Day, there are better ways to honor the many sacrifices and performances of US military and veterans than to exonerate those who did not follow the rules."
McCaffrey criticized Trump's presidency in the past. He described Trump's surprise trip to Iraq in December as "embarrassing" and "quite inappropriate" after the president signed campaign memorabilia for the troops, including hats sporting the "Make America Great" campaign slogan. Again ".
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