STRATCOM would resist 'illegal' order for a nuclear strike

[MillCreek]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-nuclear-commander/u-s-nuclear-general-says-would-resist-illegal-trump-strike-order-idUSKBN1DI0QV?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29

This reminds me of President Nixon in 1974, near his resignation, when Defense Secretary Schlesinger allegedly passed the word to the Joint Chiefs to ignore any nuclear launch orders without the Secretary's signature on them.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-most-patriotic-act-of-treason-in-american-history
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/stanley-kutler/the-imaginings-of-james-r_b_5066130.html

[French G.]

That is the morons taking a straightforward statement of any senior officer and running with it, because Trump or something. Ever since Nuremberg or William Calley it is in the mind of any military leader that orders be understood for their legality, be it to laws of war or the Constitution.  Whole BS thing, Congress had no reason to question that anyway, let's ignore the whole Clinton lost the codes thing, just Trumphitler argle bargle squirrel!

[Ben]

I read several stories on this to try and get more info. So far from what I've seen:

1) The usual MSM outlets are using headlines with "resist" in them for, you know...

2) If you read into what he says, he's simply saying that if Trump (or any president) gave an order that could be illegal (most likely unknowingly), the staff with all the stars and bars are there to tell them, "Wait, I don't think we can do that." I'm paraphrasing his quote in one article that basically states, " I would tell the president that could be illegal. The president would ask me for my advice on how to react legally, and I would give him that advice. That's how it works." The whole "Trump" and "resist" stuff is just the fake news pushing a bias.

[MillCreek]

So this makes me wonder if any President called up STRATCOM out of the blue and said to fire 14 Tridents against France, is this per se an illegal order, and how is the legality of the order determined?  I am assuming they cover this in four star school.

[KD5NRH]

So this makes me wonder if any President called up STRATCOM out of the blue and said to fire 14 Tridents against France, is this per se an illegal order, and how is the legality of the order determined?

• Is it an order to attack someone we're at war with?
• Is it an order to attack someone we should be at war with?
• Is it a preventive mercy killing to keep a country from being captured yet again?

Looks like it would be covered under the last one.  Sort of like taking out Robin so Batman can't be distracted by every pathetic villain-wanna-be capturing the Boy Hostage yet again.

[TommyGunn]

I wonder if this also happened under President Obama?

President Bush II?
Clinton?
Bush the senior?
President Reagan?
 

Or is it the TrumpHitler thing?

[HankB]

I wonder if this also happened under President Obama?

President Bush II?
Clinton?
Bush the senior?
President Reagan?
 

Or is it the TrumpHitler thing?

Reagan said he signed an order outlawing Russia forever, and the bombing would begin in five minutes.

But it didn't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv13ZnkpWos

 

[Scout26]

Trump can't just unilaterally decide to launch nukes.  "*expletive deleted*ck Mexico.  Fire Away Big Blue !!!"


There has to be either an attack on the US that warrants that response. 

"Umm, Mr. President we have a Nork missile inbound to the US West Coast." 

"Launch Approved."

or

"Mr. President we detect that the Norks are massing forces on the DMZ in attack formations, plus there have been numerous incursions and acts of sabotage/terrorism in the RoK."

"After consulting with the Joint Chiefs and our allies, I have decided to decapitate the DPRK and disrupt their impending invasion of the South.  [looks at watch] SPLASH, Over."  [5 seconds later....faint rumbles heard in the background...]