General of US Strategic Command: “Mr. President, That’s Illegal”

General John Hyten, Air Force commander and head of the US Strategic Command was speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada when he was asked a question regarding nuclear strikes.  The Fake News Industrial Complex (FNIC) which has been working overtime to convince not only American citizens, but also the global population, that President Donald Trump is a danger to the country and the rest of the world.  Their emphasis lately has been with the ongoing dispute that has been occurring, primarily through tweets, between him and the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un.

As is necessary on the part of the Left, they have once again taken the side of the oppressor, the murderer, the radical Communist, the threat-maker, and the small-minded tinhorn dictator over our US president.  This is not new, it is not unprecedented, for each and every president before Trump has been treated to the same standard…that is, only IF there was a capital “R” after his name.  Democrat presidents, by necessity, are exempt from this treatment.

Therefore, knowing that Canadians, by and large, are Left-leaning, the press there in Halifax was “concerned” by the radical statements of Donald Trump.  When asked about his blind allegiance to the possibility of being asked to commit to an imminent threat through nuclear strikes, General Hyten answered this way:

Air Force Gen John Hyten, said as head of the US Strategic Command he provided advice to a president and expected that a legal alternative would be found.

His comments come just days after US senators discussed a president’s authority to launch a nuclear attack.

Some of them expressed concern that President Donald Trump might irresponsibly order such a strike.

Others though said a president must have the authority to act without meddling from lawyers. It was the first such hearing in more than 40 years.

In August, Mr Trump vowed to unleash “fire and fury like the world has never seen” on North Korea if it threatened the US.

Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada, Gen Hyten said: “We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?”

As for the legality of a strike, the general said that he had studied US laws of armed conflict for many years which stipulates key criteria the president must consider before launching any attack:

Necessity
Distinction
Proportionality
Unnecessary suffering

The armed conflict report quotes an International Court of Justice ruling which states that while the threat or use of nuclear weapons is not prohibited by international law, “the use of such weapons seems scarcely reconcilable with respect for the requirements of the law applicable in armed conflict”.

While Senators and expert witnesses agree the president has full authority to defend the nation, commentators have pointed out that because there is no all-encompassing definition of “imminent attack”, the president is not given an entirely free hand.

“I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do,” Gen Hyten said.

“And if it’s illegal, guess what’s going to happen? I’m going to say: ‘Mr President, that’s illegal.’ And guess what he’s going to do? He’s going to say, ‘What would be legal?’ And we’ll come up with options, of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that’s the way it works.

“It’s not that complicated,” Gen Hyten added.

If you’re scratching your head and wondering why this general’s statement became such a firestorm, you’re not the only one.  The general, as can plainly be seen, did not say anything out of the ordinary, disrespectful, or unexpected as to one in his position.

The premise of the question is absolutely absurd when you stop and think about it.  “Would you commit an act of war that was illegal?”  This is basically what the press was asking of General Hyten.

Did they really expect him to say that he would?!

Seriously.  This question, on its face, is like the old joke, “When did you stop beating your wife?”

The truth of the matter is that the headline of this piece on every major newspaper should have been, “General Affirms That He Would Enforce US First Strike Policy.”  Instead, we got, “General Admits That He Wouldn’t Commit War Crimes At Trump’s Behest!”

More of the same from the Left’s favorite method of communications:  alternative facts.

Here’s the absurd FNIC’s spin:

Source:  BBC News