And we know the Democrats will follow through on this one, since they were the originators of the call to answer. This is definitely *not* a Trump “two weeks”. And for that we can be thankful. They, and we, are unhappy with Hegseth and want some answers. Whether or not we’ll actually get them is debatable. Recognition to Raw Story:
Nearly a dozen Democratic senators issued Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth a two-week deadline to provide answers for a series of “troubling allegations,” including that cuts to civilian harm prevention programs under his leadership may have contributed to at least 1,700 civilian deaths.
The demand was issued in the form of a letter, signed off on by 11 Democratic senators, and comes amid reports of significant civilian casualties in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. According to an Iranian official, at least 3,375 people have been killed from U.S.-Israeli strikes since Feb. 28, including 383 children.
Whoa. That’s a higher number than we had known. The 1700 was only what we had been told at this point. 3375? That’s just under 200% higher. Ouch. We unfortunately know there is always “collateral damage” (what ugly words those are) in a war, but this hits home. Hitting the girls’ school was bad enough. Do they not update their intelligence on that one? Do they update it at all? There was a rumor going around that they didn’t talk to Tulsi Gabbard before they started throwing missiles. She’s intelligence!
The letter was also issued amid reports that Hegseth had made “deep cuts” to the Defense Department’s mitigation and response programs, and slashed staff at the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence by “more than 90%.”
“This is a concerning pattern and raises questions about whether the administration is upholding international law and the laws of war. We are also concerned that your leadership is further harming the credibility of our armed forces, exacerbating threats to civilians and U.S. servicemembers alike,” the letter reads.
“In the first week of the war, you said it would be fought with ‘no stupid rules of engagement.’ You have repeatedly derided ‘tepid legality.’ You declared that there would be ‘no quarter, no mercy for our enemies.’
International law and the [Defense Department’s] Law of War Manual explicitly forbid declaring that ‘no quarter will be given’ or threatening to conduct hostilities on that basis.”
Yup. Slashing civilian programs was stupid, and it sucks. How many people have needed those organizations? And Hegseth is heading towards a bunch of war crimes by flapping his gums. The US follows those rules. Well, we did. This is not something for us to be proud of. No, we should be ashamed of Hegseth, since he won’t be. No quarter is stupid. It’s another illegal thing in this illegal war. And according to another article, Trump has shot himself in the gut (hard to miss that) by extending the ceasefire, and the blockade (Grrrr) indefinitely. Petey Boy must be *pissed*. Too bad for him.
The senators went on to demand that Hegseth provide specifics as to the extent of staff cuts to civilian harm prevention programs within the Defense Department, as well as what his agency was doing to prevent and mitigate civilian harm.
The United States is believed to be responsible for several notable attacks on Iranian civilian sites, including the bombing of a girls’ elementary school that killed 156 civilians, including 120 children. The United States is also believed to be responsible for another attack on a separate Iranian elementary school, resulting in the deaths of at least 21 people. [Subscription may be required for the NY Times.]
Don’t forget the bridge, which wasn’t even finished, was blown up twice with civilians picnicking nearby for a celebration. Hegseth is not going to want to answer the questions about civilians because he doesn’t care about that, only the bridge. He’s going to get huffy and defensive because what he said is right out there in public. He’s not going to want to answer those, either. The guy is a moron, an idiot, with delusions of grandeur. We could hope he gets fired soon, but whoever Trump taps to replace him could be worse. Personally, I hope it’s someone with military experience. Hegseth needs to get gone.
See you soon!
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I know that percentages are sometimes difficult to think about. However, 200% of 1700 would be 5100; 3375 is nearly 100% more.
In fairness, it’s mainly because of the fact that an increase of 100% is the same as doubling the number and doubling is multiplying by two.
I messed up on this. I literally never thought of trying to double the current amount. I feel kinda silly now.
Oops, thank you. I did that incorrectly. Percentages do confuse me sometimes. I appreciate the information!