Top general says he'd push back against 'illegal' nuclear strike order

[Judi Lynn]

By Daniella Diaz, CNN
Updated 10:23 PM ET, Sat November 18, 2017

Washington (CNN)The top US nuclear commander said Saturday he would push back against an order from President Donald Trump for a nuclear strike if it were "illegal."

Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada, Gen. John Hyten, who is the commander of US Strategic Command, shared what would happen if he were ordered to launch a nuclear strike.

"I provide advice to the President," Hyten said. "He'll tell me what to do, and if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm gonna say, 'Mr. President, that's illegal.' 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."
 
. . .
 
Hyten's remarks come after a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing this week on the President's authority to launch nuclear weapons -- the first such congressional hearing in more than 40 years.

More:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/18/politics/air-force-general-john-hyten-nuclear-strike-donald-trump/index.html

[Control-Z]

1. He has put his job in jeopardy

The maggot isn't going to like this. I hope there are many more top officers like him.

[Igel]

2. The Nuremberg defense was trashed many decades back.

The assumption that nobody's taught this or that US soldiers are routinely taught at all levels to obey illegal orders or that they'll be punished if they don't follow illegal orders ... Don't know how to characterize that in an inoffensive way.

Actually, come to think of it, I doubt a lot of younger people are taught about the Nuremberg defense and it's lack of validity.