The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has recently come under fire for its coverage of President Trump's aggressive campaign against narco-terrorists and the Venezuelan autocrat, Nicolas Maduro.
This campaign, despite its unpopularity in certain circles, is a critical part of the President's strategy to dismantle drug cartels and counter Chinese influence in Latin America. The question remains, however, why there is such a strong support for these nefarious entities among our foreign policy elites.
According to RedState, the US Southern Command recently executed its 21st strike on vessels associated with drug trafficking since the operation's inception on September 1. On November 15, under the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization. The intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling.
Interestingly, it is speculated that the primary cargo of this boat was not drugs, but gasoline. This suggests that the cartels are involved in activities beyond drug trafficking. This strike was covered in more detail by Ward Clark in his article "US Forces Eliminate 3 More Narco-Terrorists in Pacific Drug Strike" on RedState.
However, the media has been quick to label these strikes as "illegal." For instance, POLITICO reported that former GOP officials fear US strikes on alleged drug smugglers aren't legal. The Independent also published an article suggesting that Trump hasn't established the legality of these strikes and that future administrations may decide to prosecute those involved.
In the midst of this controversy, Admiral Alvin Hosey, the US SOUTHCOM commander, abruptly resigned. Rumors suggest that he left due to his opposition to the policy of targeting narcotics smugglers. This development, coupled with a PBS story about military personnel seeking legal advice on the lawfulness of Trump-ordered missions, raises questions about the morale of the troops and the future of the Venezuela/cartel operation.
The PBS story featured an interview with Frank Rosenblatt, president of the National Institute of Military Justice, which runs The Orders Project. This organization connects service members with experienced legal counsel to help them make informed decisions about their duties under the law as it relates to orders.
Rosenblatt revealed that they are primarily getting calls from people who are tangentially involved in the operations. He suggested that those who are giving advice and opinions against the operation are feeling informal pressure to get on board.
The military lawyers who previously held sway in Iraq and Afghanistan, creating a complex legal framework that commanders had to navigate before engaging the enemy, are now finding themselves sidelined. If the operators aren't concerned, then the questions about the orders are irrelevant.
The Orders Project provides a publication called "A SOURCEBOOK FOR ADVISING MILITARY PERSONNEL," which outlines the legal implications of disobeying an order. It emphasizes that any order received from a superior officer, as long as it is military-related, is presumed to be lawful. The consequences of disobeying a lawful order can be severe, ranging from imprisonment to death in a time of war.
The standard for determining the lawfulness of an order is high. If the President or the Secretary of War has directed the operation, a "person of ordinary sense and understanding" would likely believe that the order to target drug smugglers was legal. Even if the order was wrong, but appeared to be legal, the person carrying it out would not have to worry about future prosecution.
In the end, consulting a lawyer in the case of either targeting drug cartel boats or invading Venezuela is unlikely to provide an escape route. If one objects to the order, the only option is to resign.
The PBS story, whether it was intended as clickbait or as part of an information operation to create the narrative that military officers working in the U.S. SOUTHCOM area of operations are seeking legal advice because they believe the operation is illegal, has stirred up controversy.
Regardless, PBS's funding from taxpayers has been cut off, thanks to President Trump. This move has been celebrated by those who believe that the media outlet does not deserve public funding due to its biased coverage.
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