President Donald Trump has pardoned two soldiers charged for war crimes in Afghanistan, suggesting that US troops are immune even in the face of their own military justice system, let alone the International Criminal Court.
The president signed a clemency order on Friday granting full pardons to two Army officers facing war crimes charges – one awaiting trial and the other already behind bars – and reinstating the rank of a Navy Seal demoted earlier this year over similar war crimes accusations.
Can't overstate how damaging this is. Trump tells troops, & allies/enemies, that committing war crimes doesn't have to be a serious problem. This weakens the rule of law, chews at US soft power and credibility, and emboldens the bad guys. Of all Trump's idiocies, one of the worst https://t.co/q8xGmGXTpn
