Military leaders in the Pentagon and Washington areas are on high alert, and they are on high alert for possible actions by Donald Trump before leaving office. Although unlikely, senior officers discussed what they would do if the president declared martial law. The military command in charge of Washington, D.C., is secretly developing contingency plans in case the deployment of armed forces to maintain or restore social order during inaugurations and transition periods. An officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Newsweek that the military's plan was eschewing Trump supporters in the White House and the Pentagon to prevent the plan from being halted.
According to the US "Newsweek" website reported on December 24, a retired naval officer who provided advice and suggestions to senior naval leaders said: "I have more than 40 years of contact with the military, and the current discussion is something I have never seen before, and I have never needed such a discussion before." The retired officer, who is now a defense contractor, was allowed to speak anonymously in case of retaliation.
Six other officers in a similar position agreed that while military leadership is unlikely to be involved in any election-related insurrection plans, they fear the military could be embroiled in a trump-created crisis, particularly if Trump tries to rally private militias and pro-Trump paramilitary forces with the intent to undermine the transition of power and plunge the capital into violent conflict.
A retired Judge Advocate General said: "At the moment, Trump actually has unprecedented emergency powers because of the pandemic, which may lead him to believe — especially if he listens to some supporters — that he has unlimited powers and is above the law." ”
"But martial law is a bad example of considering future risks," the lawyer said. "While Trump, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, could issue such an order, a key missing element comes from the military side: the need for some military officers who support Trump's illegal moves to get involved and acquiesce in such an operation."
He and other experts agree that such a small group does not exist, but that there is still the possibility of disturbance, chaos and even the use of force.
U.S. Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy and Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McCoffrey issued a joint statement on the 18th, saying: "The U.S. military does not participate in determining the outcome of the U.S. election. ”
Although the Pentagon, citing defense leaders, formally responded to Newsweek's questions, saying the military had no role to play in terms of election outcomes, it refused to respond to the post-election crisis or discuss martial law issues, leaving them to the White House instead. The White House declined to comment.
Similarly, officers willing to talk about the issue insisted on anonymity, fearing that making names public could anger Trump. They fear that open opposition to Trump's plan to overturn the election results — whether it's imposing martial law, shutting down voting machines or preventing Congress from approving the results of the state Electoral College on Jan. 6 — would actually prompt Mr. Trump to take such action.
A former Northern Command commander said: "It is not yet clear what Trump will do next month." While I believe the military leadership will act rationally, this madness is unprecedented, so we cannot rule out any possibility. (Compiler/Xuelei Yang)
Source: Reference News Network
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