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Press Release
President's Threat of War Crimes Means Illegal Orders May Be Coming
Congress must stop this war and protect our troops.
Washington, D.C. — Government watchdogs issued a sharp condemnation of President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. military could wipe out “a whole civilization” in Iran, potentially pressuring service members to carry out illegal orders and break their military oaths. Virginia Burger, senior defense policy analyst at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) and a former active-duty U.S. Marine Corps officer, issued the following statement:
“Every service member took a sacred oath to uphold the Constitution and the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). President Trump seems willing to demand our troops break their oaths and carry out war crimes against innocent civilians. This isn’t just wrong; it’s illegal. And it’s critical that our troops know that.
“Congress has failed to put a stop to this war, which has needlessly endangered our troops and has made life harder and more expensive for people here at home. There’s a reason the American people overwhelmingly oppose this illegal and potentially endless war. The president’s threats today suggest an alarming escalation.
“Threats like this are a reminder of why the UCMJ exists in the first place — so that service members have a clear understanding of the values and principles they are obligated to uphold, and so a runaway commander cannot force our troops to commit horrific war crimes. This cannot go on. Congress must intervene and bring an end to this illegal war.”
