The head of the Pentagon, Hegseth, was at the center of two scandals. What the media is writing
- Новости
- World
- The head of the Pentagon, Hegseth, was at the center of two scandals. What the media is writing
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is in a difficult position. The investigation revealed that he had violated the security protocol during the Signal messenger chat scandal. He is also accused of approving a strike on an already stricken drug traffickers vessel, which resulted in the deaths of people. Hegseth is gradually causing discontent among Republicans, but he is still supported by US President Donald Trump. What the media write about the scandals at the Pentagon is in the Izvestia digest.
The Washington Post: The inspector found that Hegseth violated protocol at Signal
The Pentagon's main independent oversight body has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated security protocols and endangered American troops and facilities when he used a personal device to transmit confidential operational information in the unclassified Signal messenger. The full report will be published on December 4 and will once again highlight the problem that has plagued Hegseth for most of his tenure.
The Washington Post
The investigation was initiated on a bipartisan basis by top leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee in March after Atlantic magazine reported that then-National Security Adviser Mike Waltz inadvertently added a journalist to a digital discussion during which Vice President Jay Dee Vance, Hegseth, and many other cabinet officials shared and discussed details. bombing in Yemen against Houthi militants.
Hegseth shared details about the strikes before they began on March 15 in a Signal group called the "Small Group of Conservative Houthis," referring to the Yemeni rebels and using an acronym for the White House Leadership Committee, which includes other senior officials. The Defense minister even wrote to the group chat members at one point that they were "currently clear on operational security," despite Hegseth sharing confidential operational details. One of the officials familiar with Hegseth's position said that he is considered the "original secret authority," which means that he has the right to declassify almost any information related to the ministry at his discretion.
Associated Press: The Pentagon knew about the survivors of the ship strike and hit it again
According to two sources familiar with the situation, the Pentagon was aware of the presence of survivors after the September attack on a ship in the Caribbean Sea, allegedly carrying drugs, and the US military nevertheless struck again. According to people familiar with the situation, the rationale for the second strike was the need to sink the ship. The Trump administration says all 11 people on board were killed.
Associated Press
According to one of the sources, it is still unclear who ordered the strikes and whether Defense Minister Pete Hegseth was involved. The details are becoming critically important as lawmakers have launched investigations and are trying to determine whether the United States acted lawfully during its military operations. These questions are expected to come up Thursday during a classified congressional briefing with the commander who, according to the Trump administration, ordered the second strike, Admiral Frank Bradley.
Hegseth is under intense scrutiny due to the strikes. Some legal experts and lawmakers claim that the strike violated the laws of peacetime and armed conflict. Hegseth defended the second strike, calling it a "fog of war," and told a cabinet meeting at the White House that he had not seen a single survivor, but had not followed the mission to its end. The defense secretary also said that Bradley, as the admiral in charge of the operation, "made the right decision" by ordering a second strike, "which he had full authority to do."
The Washington Post: Republicans are starting to tighten the screws at the Pentagon
At a classified briefing for lawmakers investigating the killing of alleged drug smugglers, the leading Republicans in the room looked disappointed. The Pentagon, faced with questions about the legal grounds for attacking civilian vessels, did not send its lawyers to the meeting, which many lawmakers present at the meeting found inexplicable. According to these people, the representatives of the Ministry of Defense who attended the meeting could not explain the strategy and scope of the mission.
The Washington Post
Representative Mike D. Rogers (R-Alabama), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, condemned the secrecy, saying Congress had received more information from the Pentagon under Joe Biden's administration, two people in the room said.
The discontent of Republican lawmakers became obvious. Key lawmakers have questioned the Secretary of Defense's credibility, and Republican-led committees have launched the most aggressive campaign to oversee the former Fox News anchor's tumultuous ten months in charge of the Pentagon. Although some Republicans this week strongly stated that they still trust Hegset, several interviewed members of Congress and aides said that Republican support for the minister and other senior Pentagon officials has weakened.
Axios: Congressman announced plans to impeach Hegseth
Member of the House of Representatives Shri Thanedar, a Democrat from Michigan, announced his plans to submit articles of impeachment to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. His efforts are focused on two scandals currently rocking the Pentagon — a new report on "Signalgate" and accusations of retaliation against an alleged Venezuelan drug court.
Axios
However, it may be difficult for Tanedar to gain support for his proposal, even from his own party: the minority leader in the House of Representatives, Hakim Jeffries, has already rejected the possibility of an impeachment attempt against Hegseth. The Pentagon has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Tanedar will present articles of impeachment on the morning of December 4 during a rally at Union Station in Washington. The articles will accuse Hegseth of "murder and conspiracy to murder, as well as reckless and unlawful handling of classified information." He will be joined at the rally by representatives of FLARE, a group campaigning for Trump's impeachment.
CNN: Trump continues to help Hegseth stay afloat
Hegseth is starting to look like a defense minister with nine lives. Having survived a fierce confirmation battle that included shocking details of his personal life, he now finds himself at the center of new scandals that, in more normal political times, could have ended his career. Hegseth, who prefers to be called Minister of War, found himself at the center of two stormy Washington melodramas, prompting calls for his resignation. But President Donald Trump stands firm.
CNN
The reaction to both incidents creates new problems for the president, whose ratings have plummeted, and for the Republican Party, anxiously awaiting the midterm elections next year. In such circumstances, the White House often decides that it is best to jettison an official engulfed in scandal. But this is no ordinary White House.
In an administration determined to clean up the "deep state," the Inspector General's unfavorable report is not even considered a small thing. But Hegset's value to Trump runs much deeper. The former Fox News anchor may have made bad headlines, but he is also the pure embodiment of the president's psychology—an outsider seeking to destroy the status quo, a fighter who chooses the same enemies as his boss, and who views the laws and rules of engagement as something that must be fought to free himself. American power.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
