Trump transition team compiling list of current and former U.S. military officers for possible courts-martial

[swag]

Source: NBC News

Nov. 16, 2024, 5:52 PM PST
By Courtney Kube, Carol E. Lee, Vaughn Hillyard and Mosheh Gains

The Trump transition team is compiling a list of senior current and former U.S. military officers who were directly involved in the withdrawal from Afghanistan and exploring whether they could be court-martialed for their involvement, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the plan.

Officials working on the transition are considering creating a commission to investigate the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, including gathering information about who was directly involved in the decision-making for the military, how it was carried out, and whether the military leaders could be eligible for charges as serious as treason, the U.S. official and person with knowledge of the plan said.

“They’re taking it very seriously,” the person with knowledge of the plan said.

The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-transition-team-compiling-list-current-former-us-military-office-rcna180489

[swag]

1. Related: Inside the conservative hunt for partisans in the federal government before Trump takes over

https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/16/politics/foia-requests-federal-government-partisans/index.html

In mid-September, as tech billionaire Elon Musk intensified his efforts to elect Donald Trump as president, a wave of letters arrived at the Department of Transportation, asking the agency to turn over any emails and text messages that federal workers sent about the world’s wealthiest man and his sprawling technology empire.

The requests were like thousands of others sent in the past two years by Trump-allied groups seeking to identify perceived partisans within the federal government. Some have focused on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, others on employees who shared “off the record” information with reporters and on emails referencing “climate change.”

It’s a massive fishing expedition that has already sent a chill through federal agencies bracing for Trump’s second term.

[Karasu]

10. By "partisans", they mean "liberals." Just who do they think they're fooling?

[Comfortably_Numb]

2. Wonder how much of the military vote President "suckers and losers" won on Nov 5?

[orangecrush]

18. A lot

The Kool aid is strong.

[Comfortably_Numb]

20. And he wasn't including "them" on his hate and retribution list. Just the "others". The leopard face eating will be

Strong with this group.

[Karasu]

3. It begins.

Ain't nowhere left to go from here.

[LudwigPastorius]

4. "...whether the military leaders could be eligible for charges as serious as treason"

Looks like the Trumpzis have a boner to establish the precedent of executing anyone they deem an enemy.

Do the deniers still think that "doomers" are exaggerating Trump's agenda?

[24601]

5. For Context - In 1981 or 82, I was assigned to conduct a Summary Court Martial. In a Summary Court, a single officer,

who does not have to be an attorney, is assigned to serve as Judge, Jury, Prosecutor, and Defense Counsel. As I was not an attorney, I recessed the court and sent the Soldier to speak with Area Defense Counsel before having him make a plea.

Special and General Courts Martial includes a full-time professional military judge who determines the law. Assigned court members may not be junior to the accused and are the jury that determines facts, including guilt or innocence. Except in wartime, only a General Court Martial may dismiss an officer - dismissal is the officer equivalent of a Dishonorable discharge.

Courts Martial implement the Uniformed Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), a unique military law passed by Congress and signed by the President. USMJ procedures are the Manual for Courts-Martial, promulgated by the President. The UCMJ applies to uniformed service personnel: Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, NOAA, and the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service. The UCMJ does not apply to civilians like Presidents or Secretaries of departments that include uniformed services,

Consider these factors: The Joint Chiefs of Staff have no command authority. The officers in command, e.g., the Commander of USCENTCOM, were executing lawful orders from the Secretary of Defense. SECDEF received his orders from the President, and neither is subject to the UCMJ for actions in those roles. While a court could be convened, a conviction is improbable.

If they wanted to be particularly vindictive, they could direct the appropriate individual service secretary to consider administratively reducing an officer's retired rank to the last rank where the officer's service was satisfactory. This isn't uncommon.

[DallasNE]

6. How Is That A Smart Move

The defense would invoke the two-party agreement Trump signed with the Taliban with hard dates for withdrawal. The State Department did not prepare a plan for the withdrawal they negotiated. This could blow up in Trump's face.

[Mblaze]

7. Trump should be asked this question.

You made a pact with the Taliban to remove our troops from Afghanistan in February of 2020. Why did you not pull the troops while you were still President? You had nearly a full year to do it.

[StarryNite]

8. He's out for revenge just like he said he would be.

[Puppyjive]

9. What is he charging them with?

Trump is an idiot. Is he going to send his bad ass people like Stephan Miller after these guys? He's a cry baby little punk who's going to get his ass kicked. Not too bright to try and punish a military leader who has loyal soldiers.

[Botany]

11. Please go ahead with this nonsense and expose the deal that Trump cut with the Taliban and the most

…. likely the Russians just to hurt Joe Biden and it killed Americans too.

[SunSeeker]

12. Biden can pardon everyone on that list. nt

[FakeNoose]

22. He'd better hurry up and do it

He's got 2 months and then he's out. Our military leaders and service personnel don't deserve any of this.

[liberalgunwilltravel]

13. This is how military coups start

It will be a sad day for America if the asshole Trump incites another coup. However, if he does, it will be one of the last things he and his minions ever do.

[DV1]

14. True.

I think Trump and his accomplices had better heed Mike Tyson's advice: "Everyone's got a plan until they get punched in the face."

[Martin68]

15. This sounds really dubious. The military doesn't undertake court-martials at the president's behest.

I hope Trump's over-reach will be his undoing.

[C0RI0LANUS]

16. The Great Purge Cometh

From wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_trials

[NNadir]

17. There seems to my mind to be an outside chance of a military coup. It would be unprecedented in US history, but...

...hardly in world history.

[republianmushroom]

19. 45 months and counting

[Vinca]

21. Biden should just issue a pre-emptive pardon for anyone in the military and be done with it.

This is nonsense. The military is led by civilian politicians and is required to follow their orders.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

23. Same thing Stalin did hence Hitler's early success invading Russia

General Georgy Zhukov, a severe winter and allied aid are what saved his ass.

[tonekat]

24. I certainly hope to see resistance and refusal

As the response from those accused.

[Kid Berwyn]

25. ...As if the NAZIs won World War Two.

…Except they worked their treason from within.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

26. This is a rather stupid stunt

You cannot court martial an officer for following orders and it was trump's release of the Taliban leadership that led to the problems

[oldmanlynn]

27. This wont go anywhere

Its more of a scare tactic to get generals more receptive to trump.

There has to be a legitimate reason for a court martial

[gab13by13]

28. TSF is sending a message to the military brass,

It isn't just about court martialing them, they will lose their pensions. Anyone who speaks out against Trump's destruction of the military will now have 2nd thoughts.