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The post Joint Chiefs chairman tells Congress U.S. ‘perhaps’ not doing enough to stop Russia in Afghanistan appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>WASHINGTON — Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress on Thursday that the Trump administration was “perhaps not” doing “as much as we could or should” to deter Russia and other foreign powers from providing weapons and support to America’s enemies in Afghanistan.
Questioned at a House Armed Services hearing about the long history of Russia’s support for the Taliban, Milley said Russia was among many U.S. adversaries that for years have been providing “training, money, weapons, propaganda … and a lot of other things” to the Taliban and the Haqqani network, an Afghan guerrilla group.
The military has responded on the ground, he said, but “the issue is higher than that.”
“The issue is at the strategic level,” he said. “What should or could we be doing at the strategic level?”
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The key question, Milley said, was whether there are sanctions that should be imposed, diplomatic protests lodged, phone calls made or other pressure brought to bear.
“I can tell you that some of that is done. Are we doing as much as we could or should? Perhaps not. Not only to the Russians, but to others. But a lot of it is being done. Some of it’s quiet. Some of it’s not so quiet.”
Milley and Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who also testified, said the military was looking into the intelligence that the Russians had offered payments to the Taliban as an incentive to kill Americans, but both said that military intelligence agencies had cast doubt on the reports and that they had seen no indication that any American was killed because of a so-called bounty program.
However, they acknowledged that Russia had been supporting the Taliban for years, and Milley’s comment was a concession that the U.S. has not pushed back as hard as it could. It is unclear whether President Donald Trump has ever raised the issue in his many conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Although Thursday’s hearing was ostensibly about the military’s role in quelling protests, several lawmakers asked about the intelligence about Russian bounties, first reported June 26 by The New York Times. The members said they had received a classified briefing on the intelligence before their hearing.
Esper said no intelligence report he saw used the word “bounty,” although he later acknowledged that the reports described payments. He said no military spy agency had corroborated the intelligence, which officials have said was developed largely by the CIA.
He said that he learned about the intelligence in February and that the military first saw it in January.
Both officials said the military and intelligence agencies continue to investigate. NBC News has reported that the CIA assessed the intelligence at a level of moderate confidence, meaning plausible and credibly sourced but less than certain. The National Security Agency, the Pentagon’s digital spying arm, gave a lower confidence level, and Esper said other military intelligence agencies did, as well.
“We’re going to dig into this. We’re going to get to the bottom of it, this bounty thing,” Milley said. “If, in fact, there’s bounties directed by the government of Russia or any of their institutions to kill American soldiers, that’s a big deal. We don’t have that level of fidelity yet.”
Courtney Kube is a correspondent covering national security and the military for the NBC News Investigative Unit.
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]]>The post Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley discussed resigning over role in Trump’s church photo op appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>The Pentagon’s top general discussed resigning amid criticism over his participation in President Donald Trump’s controversial photo opportunity at a Washington church, three defense officials familiar with the matter told NBC News.
Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, apologized over the incident Thursday, saying, “I should not have been there.”
The apology came after 10 tumultuous days for Milley, which involved a flash of anger at an Oval Office meeting over the use of active-duty troops to quell protests and culminated in his speaking with confidants about whether he should resign over the staged visit at St. John’s Episcopal Church, the officials said.
The events began on the morning of June 1 following a night of violent protests and looting in Washington, which left the historic St. John’s church damaged and national monuments covered in graffiti.
In an Oval Office meeting with Vice President Mike Pence, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Attorney General William Barr and Milley, the president said he was angry that the National Guard had not been deployed in Washington, a senior administration official said.
The president’s message was: “We have to get the capital under control. What can we do? I don’t care if you have to put 10,000 National Guard out there,” the official said.
A discussion ensued over invoking the Insurrection Act to send in active-duty troops to quash the unrest triggered by the death of George Floyd, the official said, but Esper, Milley and Barr all pushed back on the idea.
Milley became so fired up explaining why using active-duty troops was dangerous that he shook his fists to emphasize his points, according to three defense officials familiar with the meeting. The officials asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak about the private meeting.
After the meeting, Esper and other military leaders began a full-court press to encourage the nation’s governors to activate their National Guard forces on state duty. The defense officials said they hoped to get enough Guard forces working that the active-duty troops would not be necessary.
At 1 p.m., the 82nd Airborne Brigade Immediate Response Force was ordered to deploy from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Fort Belvoir, Virginia. About 1,000 paratroopers would be ready to respond in Washington if the president invoked the Insurrection Act.
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That afternoon, Milley was prepared to go to the FBI field office, the command hub for the response to protests in the city. Thinking he would be there for several hours, he wore his combat fatigues, three defense officials said. But he was unexpectedly called to the White House for the president’s Rose Garden address, the officials said.
“It didn’t make sense to go all the way back to the Pentagon to change when he was already in the city,” a senior defense official said.
But a military historian and four former aides to previous Joint Chiefs chairmen said it is customary to keep an extra uniform in the car for such emergencies.
David Segal, the founding director of the Center for Research on Military Organization at the University of Maryland, said he was surprised to see Milley go to the June 1 White House meeting in his combat fatigues.
“That in itself is a break from the past,” Segal said, adding that the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff always go to the White House in their dress blues and even keep extra uniforms in their cars in case they are suddenly called to an emergency meeting.
Just before the president’s Rose Garden address got underway, federal officers used tear gas and flash-bang grenades to force back peaceful protesters gathered near the White House.
After his speech, Trump led a group of senior officials and aides across Lafayette Square to St. John’s church, where he held up a Bible and posed for photos.
Esper stood with him. Milley did not know he was going to the church for a photo op, and when he realized what was happening, he tried to back away to avoid being in the photos, according to the defense officials.
Milley was later caught on video walking the streets of Washington, visiting the National Guard soldiers, wearing his combat fatigues, prompting criticism that the nation’s capital was being militarized.
That evening, Milley spent hours looking at social media and reading news articles and saw dozens of people criticizing him for being at the photo op and walking around the city in his combat uniform, according to the defense officials. He stayed up much of the night reading social media. He also reached out to confidants, asking them for advice and discussing whether he should resign, the officials said.
A defense official confirmed that Milley did speak “to several of his longstanding mentors to discuss his situation.” The official said Milley did not call them asking whether he should resign but acknowledged that there were criticism and calls for his resignation, so “it’s a topic that’s going to come up.”
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A spokesperson for Milley said “conversations between the chairman and his mentors are private conversations and we are not going to comment on them.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
In the days after the photo op, Democratic members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees called Milley, expressing their disappointment that he was part of the event — some members even yelling at him, according to three people familiar with the conversations. They were also upset about Esper’s being involved.
Esper has since distanced himself from the staged visit at the church, saying he thought he was going to look at damage and talk to the troops.
On Thursday, Milley expressed regret for having taken part in Trump’s walk.
“As many of you saw, the result of the photograph of me at Lafayette Square last week, that sparked a national debate about the role of the military in civil society,” Milley said in a recorded address at a commencement ceremony at the National Defense University in Washington.
“I should not have been there. My presence in that moment, and in that environment, created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.”
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]]>The post Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley says it was ‘mistake’ to appear with Trump in Lafayette Square appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley on Thursday expressed regret for accompanying President Trump during a photo-op last week at Lafayette Square amid protests, calling the decision “a mistake” – in the latest sign of friction between the White House and the military over the response to racial unrest.
Milley made the remarks during a remote video speech to graduates at National Defense University, advising young officers to “always maintain a keen sense of situational awareness.”
ESPER OPPOSES USING INSURRECTION ACT
“As senior leaders, everything you do will be closely watched,” he said. “And I am not immune.
“As many of you saw, the result of the photograph of me at Lafayette Square last week. That sparked a national debate about the role of the military in civil society,” Milley continued. “I should not have been there. My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.”
He added: “As a commissioned uniformed officer, it was a mistake that I have learned from, and I sincerely hope we all can learn from it.”
Thursday was the first time Milley addressed the visit to Lafayette Square since the incident earlier this month.
Milley did not address the issue of renaming the 10 U.S. Army bases named after Confederate generals – after President Trump made clear a day earlier he would not support such a discussion – but acknowledged the U.S. military’s “mixed record on equality.”
FILE – In this June 1, 2020 file photo, President Trump departs the White House to visit outside St. John’s Church, in Washington. Walking behind Trump from left are, Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
“We fought World War II with a racially segregated military. The Tuskegee Airmen are just one example of courageous men who fought for freedoms they themselves did not enjoy at home. Racial segregation of the armed forces ended in 1948, and today the military has come to reflect the diversity of our nation – the strength of our nation,” he said.
Milley’s comments come amid tensions between top Pentagon officials – as well as retired military figures – and the president over the handling of the protests and riots surrounding the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd in police custody last month.
TENSIONS FLARE BETWEEN TRUMP, MILITARY FIGURES
Milley, amid the unrest, circulated a letter reminding military leaders about their oath to the U.S. Constitution.
“Every member of the U.S. military swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution and the values embedded within it. This document is founded on the essential principle that all men and women are born free and equal, and should be treated with respect and dignity,” Milley wrote. “As members of the Joint Force – composed of all races, colors and creeds – you embody the ideals of our Constitution. Please remind all of our troops and leaders that we will uphold the values of our nation, and operate consistent with national laws and our own high standards of conduct at all times.”
Part of the criticism from military officers toward the president came after Trump’s visit to St. John’s Episcopal Church near the White House, after part of the church had been set on fire the night before. The visit included a photo-op where Trump held up a Bible.
Prior to that photo-op, the area around the church was forcibly cleared of protesters, though there are conflicting claims over the tactics used. Critics say tear gas was used, while the Park Police specify that they used “pepper balls” – while not denying it’s a form a tear gas.
“I’m not going to say that pepper balls don’t irritate you,” spokesman Sgt. Eduardo Delgado told Vox. “I’m not saying it’s not a tear gas, but I’m just saying we use a pepper ball that shoots a powder.”
Meanwhile, the president also had pushed for active-duty military to confront rioters — which Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said he opposed.
“The option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort and only in the most urgent and dire situations,” Esper said. “We are not in one of those situations now. I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act.”
Instead, the National Guard was deployed across the country, a move Milley praised on Thursday.
“And I’m also proud of the response of our National Guard forces, who provided excellent support to local and state law enforcement under the control of state governors in more than 30 states across the country. We never introduced federal troops on the streets of America as a result of the combined efforts of the Guard and law enforcement at quelling the violence and de-escalating very, very tense situations,” he told graduates.
Esper also took issue with the visit to the church, saying last week that he was aware that he and the president, along with a number of others, were going to the church and Lafayette Square, but “did not know a photo-op was happening” at the church before they got there. Esper stated he tries to keep himself and his department out of politics as best he can.
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin, Tyler Olson, and Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.
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]]>The post Four police chiefs on systemic racism, police brutality and much-needed change appeared first on Virus Reports.
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Published on Jun 8, 2020
As nationwide protests continue to call for an end to police brutality, law enforcement faces increasing scrutiny and pressure for immediate change. Gayle King spoke to four police chiefs from around the country to discuss much-needed change, systemic racism and their reaction to the video of George Floyd’s death.
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]]>The post Police chiefs react with disgust to Minneapolis death, try to reassure their own cities appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>Police chiefs across the United States, many of whom have been pushing their officers to de-escalate tense situations and decrease their use of force, responded with disgust Wednesday to the death of George Floyd after an encounter with Minneapolis officers and moved to reassure their communities that they would not tolerate such brutality.
In years past, police officials likely would have called for full, time-consuming investigations and patience from angry citizens until all the facts were in. Not this time.
Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo fired four officers within 24 hours, and the heads of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Major Cities Chiefs Association promptly issued statements of support for that move and denounced the prolonged suffocation of Floyd captured on cellphone video and soon streamed around the world.
“The death of Mr. Floyd is deeply disturbing and should be of concern to all Americans,” said the Major Cities Chiefs, headed by Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo. “The officers’ actions are inconsistent with the training and protocols of our profession and MCCA commends Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo for his swift and decisive action to terminate the employment of the officers involved.”
Steven R. Casstevens, the head of the IACP and chief of the Buffalo Grove, Ill., department, expressed his sympathy to Floyd’s family.
“Law enforcement officers are trained to treat all individuals, whether they are a complainant, suspect, or defendant, with dignity and respect,” Casstevens said. “This is the bedrock principle behind the concepts of procedural justice and police legitimacy.”
Casstevens added, “No single incident should define an agency or the profession. As police leaders, we must be willing to question and denounce actions that are wrong so to continue to build trust within our communities.”
In Miami, Police Chief Jorge Colina issued a video statement on Twitter saying he was “deeply disturbed by what we saw on that video. I stand with Chief Arradondo of the Minneapolis Police Department with the swift action he took once he was made aware of that video.”
Floyd apparently was arrested after he was suspected of attempting to pass a counterfeit bill in a Minneapolis business Monday evening, police said. He was then held down on the street, handcuffed and unarmed, with one officer’s knee on his neck. Floyd complained he couldn’t breathe, as a bystander streamed the video live on Facebook. Floyd appears to become unconscious during the video. The Minneapolis Police Department identified the four officers involved as Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng.
For police officials who have been moving to improve relations with their communities by reducing their use of force, it was a sobering setback.
“There’ll be a tendency for people to look at that horrible video and say, ‘Nothing has changed,’ ” said Chuck Wexler of the Police Executive Research Forum, which trains police departments nationwide in de-escalation techniques. “And that is so wrong. So much has changed in policing.”
Police departments largely have better training now, Wexler said, and PERF’s often-promoted theory that officers respect the “sanctity of life” was cited by Arradondo in his first news conference.
“These officers were held immediately accountable,” Wexler said. “Years ago, there would have been a long investigation. The first thing the police have to do is take responsibility. They did that. Watching this video makes every decent working cop sick, and it makes their job harder because the public will say nothing has changed.”
“You’re never going to achieve perfection,” Acevedo said in an interview. “This is why we have to be vigilant. Actions have to have consequences. I really commend Chief Arradondo for acting quickly.”
Acevedo noted that state laws and collective bargaining agreements in many cities and states prohibit chiefs from terminating officers without extended processes, and that he could not have immediately fired officers in a similar situation in Houston.
“If you look at policing from 20 to 30 years ago,” Acevedo said, “although we still have these egregious incidents, when you look at the total number of [police] contacts [with the public], they’re small in number. Still, one is one too many. And it’s not just one.”
Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus tweeted that the video showed an “indefensible use of force that good officers everywhere are appalled by … Conduct like this anywhere makes it more difficult for police everywhere to build community trust.”
In an email, Magnus said that “being as transparent as possible with the community, including involving them in the training police receive, especially scenario-based training, is key to building community trust. Officers in our department practice de-escalation techniques with community volunteers.”
He said that “when residents see how we train, what we expect, and that we hold our officers to this level of performance, they have more confidence in our agency overall.”
Though groups such as PERF and civil rights organizations have pushed for de-escalation training, at least one measure of police use of force has not changed in recent years: fatal officer-involved shootings.
Since The Washington Post began counting fatal shootings by police nationwide five years ago, 2019 had the highest number of such killings: 1,004. The totals in the previous years were 992 in 2018, 986 in 2017, 962 in 2016 and 994 in 2015. There have been 400 killings at the hands of police in the United States this year, and Floyd’s death will not be included in The Post’s database because it counts only shootings.
Law enforcement officials were unhappy that the FBI, which maintains the national Uniform Crime Reporting database, did not keep its own accurate count of police killings, and in 2018 the bureau announced its own National Use-of-Force Data Collection project. Police departments were to submit their data on a variety of force incidents, “which will provide the public with necessary facts about law enforcement use of force in the course of their duties and ultimately strengthen the nation’s confidence in law enforcement.”
But at the Major Cities Chiefs conference last May, Amy Blasher, the head of the FBI’s crime statistics management unit, said only about 20 percent of the nation’s departments were submitting data. The FBI has not responded to inquiries about the project, and no report has been issued for 2019.
Jim Burch, president of the National Police Foundation, said in an email that “the video we’ve all now seen is distressing and hard for anyone to watch … these actions, and inaction, jeopardize the gains that have been made through the sacrifices and courage of many. While the full investigation may reveal additional details and facts that are unknown to most of us today, we should all come together in agreement that the glimpse we have into this encounter is not consistent with the oath that officers take or the courage and integrity that the vast majority display each and every day.”
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