Trump’s anticipated actions for 3 U.S. troops accused or convicted of war crimes prompts Esper to defend the military justice system

“I’m in the chain of command and I’m very conscious of my remarks. But I do have full confidence in the military justice system,” Esper told reporters during a brief exchange during a visit from the Qatari defense minister. “I had the chance to have a robust discussion with the president yesterday, and I offered, as I do in all matters, the facts, the options, my advice, recommendations, and we’ll see how things play out.”

THE FOX EFFECT: Pentagon officials prepared three case files for the president’s review, concerned he was being swayed by arguments made by Pete Hegseth, a frequent guest co-host of ‘Fox and Friends,” one of Trump’s favorite shows.

Last month, Trump revealed that he was personally reviewing the case of Army Maj. Mathew Golsteyn. “Mathew is a highly decorated Green Beret who is being tried for killing a Taliban bombmaker. We train our boys to be killing machines, then prosecute them when they kill!,” Trump said in an Oct 12 tweet in which he tagged @PeteHegseth.

Trump is also considering intervening in the case of Edward Gallagher, a Navy SEAL who was found not guilty of unlawfully killing an ISIS fighter, but guilty of the lesser charge of posing for a trophy photo over the dead man’s body. Gallagher is facing a reduction in rank. Trump is reportedly ready to reverse his demotion.

A third case involved former Army Lt. Clint Lorance, who was convicted of murder in 2013, for ordering U.S. troops to open fire on Afghan civilians.

SHOULD WE CARE WHEN GOOD GUYS DO BAD THINGS TO BAD GUYS? I wrote about this moral dilemma back in May, when it first became known that President Trump was unhappy with the U.S. military’s prosecution of its own troops for violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and internationally recognized laws of armed conflict.

“We cannot lower our standards simply because the bastards we’re fighting have none,” says Charles “Cully” Stimson, senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a former military judge advocate general.

“We must maintain the moral standards embodied in the Geneva Conventions and embodied in the Uniform Code of Military Justice as a country because it’s the right thing to do. And because should we, the world’s only superpower, all of a sudden drift down from that, then the moral high bar goes down for everyone else,” Stimson told me in an interview we did back in 2010. “We can’t do that. Civilized society can’t tolerate that. And that was the reason the Geneva Conventions were passed in 1940.”

Among the many retired four-star officers who have publicly urged Trump to refrain from pardoning convicted war criminals is former Marine Corps Gen. Charles Krulak, who warned in a statement at the time that if Trump pardoned individuals accused or convicted of war crimes, “he will betray these ideals and undermine decades of precedent in American military justice that has contributed to making our country’s fighting forces the envy of the world.”

Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Susan Katz Keating (@SKatzKeating). Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.

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NOTE TO READERS: Daily on Defense will not be published on Monday, Nov. 11 in observance of the Veterans Day federal holiday. We’ll be back in your inbox, and on line Tuesday, Nov. 12. Thank you for your service.

HAPPENING TODAY — DEFENSE ONE SUMMIT: Defense One holds its 2019 “Outlook 2020” forum, with the theme “New Missions for the Next Era.”

9:45 a.m. James Jeffrey, special representative for Syria engagement at the State Department, participates in an interview

10:20 a.m. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., participates in a keynote interview

12:30 p.m. Mark Munsell, CTO of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, participates in a discussion on “Cyber, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Defense Technology”

1:45 p.m. Preston Dunlap, chief architect in the Air Force Office of the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, delivers remarks on “Connecting the Battlefield”

2:50 p.m. Assistant Defense Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver participates in a discussion on “The China Gap: To Fight or Compete?”

2:50 p.m. Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper participates in a discussion on “Military Balance: Foreign Arms Sales”

3:55 p.m. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.; and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization Operations Mina Chang participate in a discussion on “Forever War? Beyond Counterterrorism and U.S. Military Interventions”

ALSO TODAY: Zalmay Khalilzad, the State Department’s. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, testifies at a closed hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

AND ALSO TODAY: Check the Pentagon’s Live Events webpage later this morning for a possible 11 a.m. event.

THE WELCOME MAT IS OUT: While Congress weighs sanctions against Turkey for its Northern Syria land grab, which pushed America’s Kurdish allies out of territory they took from ISIS, President Trump announced he’ll be welcoming Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the White House next week.

“Just had a very good call with President @RTErdogan of Turkey. He informed me that they have captured numerous ISIS fighters that were reported to have escaped during the conflict – including a wife and sister of terrorist killer al Baghdadi,” Trump tweeted. “Also talked about their Border with Syria, the eradication of terrorism, the ending of hostilities with the Kurds, and many other topics. Look forward to seeing President Erdogan next Wednesday, November 13th at the @WhiteHouse!”

BIPARTISAN CONCERN OVER BROKEN PROMISES: A group of five senators, including three Democrats and two Republicans, have written Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asking for an explanation about Turkey’s reported attacks on Syrian Kurds outside the so-called “safe zone.”

“These attacks, if true, would violate the ceasefire agreements and should prompt immediate action from the administration,” write the senators in a letter released yesterday.

“We ask that you immediately let us know if Turkey and/or its proxy forces are operating outside of the area that runs east-west between the towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain and south about 30 kilometers to the M4-M10 road. If so, does the Administration plan to impose sanctions on Turkey for violating the October 17 agreement?” says the letter signed by Democrats Chris Van Hollen, Richard Blumenthal, and Jeanne Shaheen, and Republicans Lindsey Graham and Marsha Blackburn.

“President Trump has threatened to ‘destroy Turkey’s economy’ should Turkey violate its obligations. In keeping with this position, we ask that the Administration take swift measures to enforce the October 17 agreement with tough economic sanctions,” they write. “Given the stakes, time is of the essence.”

HOSPITALS BOMBED IN SYRIA: Humanitarian groups in Syria continue to charge the regime of Bashar Assad, and his Russian backers, with war crimes for deliberately bombing hospitals in the northern province of Idlib, the last rebel stronghold.

The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations says a children’s hospital and a surgical center were hit yesterday, bringing to four the number of medical facilities bombed over the course of 48 hours.

“Hospitals and medical facilities are supposed to be protected under international law. Civilians are supposed to have access to medical care in these situations,” said Dr. Khaula Sawah, vice president of UOSSM USA. “The international community must act and stop attacks on hospitals and medical staff. We have and will continue to say this over and over again, they are NOT A TARGET!”

IRAQ PROTESTS GROW: Tens of thousands of Iraqis continue to take to the streets, both in Baghdad and across the Shiite south, demanding an end to corruption, and protesting poor basic services and a lack of job opportunities.

Yesterday protesters stormed a bridge in central Baghdad, where security forces pushed them back with batons and tear gas, wounding dozens, according to the AP, which reported a medic was killed while aiding demonstrators.

“Protests continued to grow in Baghdad and southern Iraq after Iran intervened to block the resignation or ouster of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mehdi in a no-confidence vote on October 30,” says an analysis by the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

“Protests became increasingly anti-Iran in Karbala and Baghdad and spread to Diyala Province,” the analysis reads. “Meanwhile, PM Mehdi refused the Iraqi parliament’s summons for questioning, likely recognizing that the measure has insufficient support in the parliament for the proceedings after Iran’s intervention.”

INHOFE STEAMED: Republican Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe took to the Senate floor yesterday to decry the lack of progress in finding a compromise with Democrats that would allow passage of the usually bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act.

“In the last week, nothing has changed. And that’s not okay,” Inhofe railed. “What kind of message do my Democratic colleagues think they are sending our troops, who lay their lives on the line every day, if we don’t prioritize their pay, their housing, or the programs to care for their families while they’re away? What kind of message do my Democratic colleagues think they are sending our allies and partners?”

Inhofe is getting increasingly anxious noting that that the Senate has only 20 legislative days left this year. “And if the House sends us articles of impeachment, that will eat up all of our time in December, and it could spill into January.”

FEARS OF A FULL YEAR CR: Inhofe and Rep. Mac Thornberry, ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, are growing fearful that the deadlock over defense policy and budget measures will result in the worst case scenario, a full year Continuing Resolution that will freeze Pentagon spending at last year’s level.

“Every day under a CR damages our military and undermines the recent fragile progress of repairing and rebuilding it,” writes Thornberry in an op-ed in the Dallas Morning News. “For example, our supply of precision weapons used to target terrorists is severely depleted. Under a CR, the Air Force will have to cut procurement of these munitions dramatically. When full funding for the military is eventually approved, it will take months, if not years, to rebuild the stockpile, and the weapons themselves will be more expensive.”

Thornberry and fellow Republican Reps. Kay Granger and Steve Womack put out a fact sheet this week detailing what they say will be the devastating effects of operating under a CR for a full year.

FUTURE WAR: American Enterprise Institute Resident Scholar Ken Pollack is out with a new report on “Society, Technology, and Future Warfare.”

“Warfare is being transformed by the information revolution. However, history has demonstrated that it is exceptionally difficult to know how new technology will redefine warfighting before the audit of battle,” Pollacvk writes “It is dangerous to assume that the US will dominate the future battlefield simply because it is leading the information revolution. It is equally dangerous to assume that future warfighting will conform to American military cultural preferences, even though those are likely to drive how the United States adopts new technology.”

PROTECTING MILITARY FAMILIES FROM DEPORTATION: Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth has introduced a bill that would block military family members from being deported over immigration status.

The Military Family Parole in Place Act would codify an executive branch program that prevents service members and their parents, spouses, or children from being deported to their home countries following an immigration violation.

The current executive branch policy, “Parole in Place,” allows military families to address immigration violations from inside the United States temporarily.

“Our troops serving overseas should be focused on doing their jobs, not worrying about whether their family members will be deported,” Duckworth said. “Ending these deportation protections would be cruel and inhumane and a direct threat to our military readiness, which is why I’m introducing this legislation that would support our men and women in combat by protecting their families from deportation.”

The Rundown

Reuters: Iran Fuels Centrifuges, Resumes Uranium Enrichment At Fordow

AP: Activity at Iran’s nuclear site raises risks

Military Times: Russia’s Ability To Hold And Capture Territory In Europe Threatens U.S. And NATO Forces

AP: Putin: New Weapons Will Offer Russia Reliable Protection

Washington Examiner: Army National Guard taps Hollywood prop shop to help train against Russian tanks

Reuters: Taiwan Warns Of Possible Attack If China’s Slowdown ‘Becomes Serious’

Washington Post: U.S. should consider pooling data with other countries to beat China in artificial intelligence, group says

Defense News: Are Banned Chinese Cameras Watching The U.S. Military?

Air Force Magazine: How Boeing Could Repurpose Years of Work on GBSD

Defense One: Google Wants More Work from the Defense Department

USNI News: Sub Force Drafting New Vision Document to Succeed in High-End Environment

Marine Corp Times: Marine commander of Okinawa’s 3rd Transportation Support Battalion relieved 5 months into the job

Washington Post: In South Korea, Doubt About U.S. Military Commitment

National Interest: Trump’s Ukraine Troubles Overshadow His Foreign Policy Successes

U.S. News & World Report: North Korea Threatens to Upend Nuclear Talks Due to U.S. ‘Reckless Military Frenzy’

Calendar

THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 7

7:55 a.m. 2799 Richmond Hwy. — Naval Submarine League symposium “Accelerating in a New Direction,” with Pacific Fleet Submarine Force Commander Rear Adm. Blake Converse speaking at 10:45 a.m.; and Assistant Navy Secretary for Research, Development and Acquisition James Geurts at 12 p.m. https://www.navalsubleague.org/events

8 a.m. 2201 G St. N.W. — Defense Writers Group breakfast with Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, undersecretary of energy for nuclear security and NNSA administrator. https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu

8 a.m. 950 New York Ave. N.W. — Defense One Outlook 2020 live summit with R. Clarke Cooper, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs; Amb. James Jeffrey, special representative for syria engagement; Richard Fontaine, deputy director-general for the International Institute for Strategic Studies; Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.; Sen. Chris Van Hollen D-Md.; Jonathan Capehart, opinion writer The Washington Post; Elise Jordan, columnist, TIME; Patricia Kim, senior policy analyst, China, U.S. Institute of Peace. https://www.defenseone.com/feature/outlook-2020

8 a.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. — American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research discussion on “Blurring the Line: Politics and the Military in a Post-9/11 America,” with Nora Bensahel, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; Rebecca Burgess, AEI; Giselle Donnelly, AEI; Jim Golby, U.S. Army; Seth Lynn, Veterans Campaign; Jeremy Teigen, Ramapo College; Heidi Urben, U.S. Army. Livestream at: http://www.american.com/watch/aei-livestream

8:30 a.m. 902 Hart — The American Conservative foreign policy conference “Regime Change: How to Replace the Beltway Blob with the Foreign Policy Americans Want,” with Andrew Bacevich, TAC writer-at-large; Emma Ashford, defense and foreign policy research fellow at the Cato Institute; retired Col. Doug Macgregor, author, Margin of Victory: Five Battles that Changed the Face of Modern War; Mark Perry, author, The Pentagon’s Wars: The Military’s Undeclared Wars Against America’s Presidents, and many others. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/regime-change

8:30 a.m. 1001 16th St. N.W. — American Bar Association “Annual Review of the Field of National Security Law,” with Dana Boente, general counsel at the FBI, and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers. https://www.americanbar.org/events

FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 8

12:15 p.m. 1777 F St, N.W. — Council on Foreign Relations discussion “Stabilizing Venezuela: What Now?” with former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela William Brownfield; former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela Patrick Dennis Duddy, director of the Duke University Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies; Francisco Rodriguez, director of the Oil for Venezuela Foundation; Cynthia Arnson, director of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Latin American Program; and Stephen Donehoo, managing partner at McLarty Associates. http://www.cfr.org

12:30 p.m. 14th and F St. N.W. — National Press Club newsmaker luncheon address with Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie. https://www.press.org/events

MONDAY | NOVEMBER 11 VETERANS DAY

10:30 a.m. Madison Square Park, New York City — President Trump speaks at the opening ceremony of the New York City Veterans Day Parade. https://uwvc.org/2019/11/06/president

TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 12

8 a.m. 2201 G Street N.W. — Defense Writers Group breakfast with Will Roper, assistant secretary of the air force for acquisition, technology and logistics. https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu

WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 13

8 a.m. 2201 G St. N.W. — Defense Writers Group breakfast with Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu.