CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

Illegal Orders and the Criminals Who Give Them

The president and secretary of defense have failed in their effort to see to the execution of six members of Congress after the lawmakers had the nerve to urge members of the U.S. military to refuse illegal orders, in other words, to obey the law.

The six Democrats — House members Jason Crow of Colo., Maggie Goodlander and Chris Deluzio of New Hampshire, and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, and Senators Mark Kelly of Ariz. and Elissa Slotkin of Mich. — aired a 90-second video last year reminding military personnel that they are obliged to disobey orders that are unlawful.

When the video aired, President Trump called for the execution of all six. Washington, DC prosecutors then sought to charge the six with treason, sedition, and subversive activities — some of which are capital offenses.

Of course, urging the rank and file to obey U.S. military law is not a criminal act or a violation of any law, so on February 10 the grand jury refused to indict the cautionary lawmakers.

Sen. Mark Kelly is a former astronaut who has commanded the Space Shuttle, and a retired Navy Captain with 25 years in the Marine Corps. Sen. Kelly spoke to John Stewart on The Daily Show........

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