Pete Hegseth asked U.S. Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey to retire in October after Holsey expressed concerns about the legality of the Trump administration’s boat bombings in the Caribbean, according to a new report.
On Wednesday, the _Wall Street Journal_published a report that cited two unnamed Pentagon officials, who said Hegseth asked the admiral to step down in “a de facto ouster that was the culmination of months of discord between Hegseth and the officer” after Holsey expressed “concerns about the legality of lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.”
Shortly after, Hegseth announced that Holsey – the commander of U.S. Southern Command – would be retiring.
Something something…illegal orders…
Good for that admiral. If there are any repercussions (however unlikely) a bullet was dodged.
This is not some squishy left-wing guy. He’s been in a command position, no doubt participating in numerous bombing campaigns and drone strikes throughout his career.
Chopper pilot, and when the guy in charge of an entire carrier strike group capable of leveling a city tells you to cool it with the bombs, he’s saying so from experience that the only way things go is escalation from here.
More importantly, drug interdiction is not the Navy’s job and the Coasties have been arresting narcos, alive, for decades. This is straight up murder.
Or he knew Hegseth would throw him under the bus for the obvious violation of international law and he just wanted to save his own skin.
Probably also had inside knowledge of the long term plan to land troops on Venezuelian soil, and didn’t want his name part of that history chapter.
It must suck to have worked their entire life moving up to such a respectable position only for a measly infantry officer and shitty alcoholic tv personality to swoop in, be your boss, and fire you for doing the right thing. Life really does just favor some of us.
An infantry officer who was only part of the National Guard, at that.
I wouldn’t go quietly if I was him. I don’t know why there isn’t a bigger commotion happening within the military when respectable generals are let go like that.
Are they just afraid to stand-up because they will lose their retirement package or something?
You don’t get to those high ranking positions without having an abnormal amount of personal ambition. So these decisions are nothing new, they just do what is best for themselves and carry on.
I’m not sure it favors some of us, as it’s a sign all of us collectively have gotten waaay too comfortable letting pieces of shit off the hook for their behavior. If we ever make it out of this I think we need to swing pretty hard the other direction on ‘tolerating’ people being total fucking assholes to everyone else in their career, in politics, in public. Call that shit out, shun them, make them understand freedom of speech does not allow you to literally spew hate speech, threaten people, and generally be a corrupt asshole. None of anyone’s behavior in the GOP since basically 2016, is okay. Obviously this has been going far longer, but 2016 election is when it went full gloves off.
No, it was this officer’s greatest joy to be relieved of command by a puny puke who will soon be rung up on charges by the ICC. He spoke truth to power as was his duty and now he is free of the consequences of his commander’s choices. I’m sure he will drink a toast to the incarceration and eventual firing squad awaiting Hegseth and subordinates for war crimes.
Do you write fan fiction?
That’d be great
do you want the Venezolan oil? say the truth 😆
It’s not fair! Vladimir gets to take whatever he wants and I don’t! And I’m a way better boy! I want Venezuela! Now!
man, this entire topic of Venezuela is the more intrusive thing that I had seen in the continent… it sounds like Rafael Videla returning from his tomb…
