Navy secretary ousted over SEAL case

The U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper called for the resignation of Navy Secretary, Richard Spencer, Sunday, after Spencer clashed with President Trump over the handling of a case of a Navy SEAL accused of war crimes in Iraq. Esper asked for Spencer's resignation, saying he lost confidence in the Navy secretary after Spencer's private remarks about the SEAL apparently contradicted what he advocated in public. The Defense secretary said in a statement quote, "I am deeply troubled by this conduct shown by a senior DoD official." The resignation came in the wake of the controversial case of Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, a Navy SEAL acquitted of murder but convicted in July of posing with the body of a captive. President Trump had intervened in the case of Gallagher on November 15, along with two other soldiers, reinstating Gallagher's rank after the SEAL was demoted as a punishment. But the Pentagon said Spencer made a private pitch to the White House on Friday that he didn't share with Esper, advocating to allow a SEAL review board to proceed that could have pushed Gallagher from his elite unit. This week Trump tweeted, "The Navy will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher's Trident Pin." Those are the symbols a Navy SEAL wears on his uniform. In his letter of resignation, Spencer said the rule of law is what sets the U.S. apart from its adversaries, and that he could not in good conscience obey an order that would violate the oath he took to defend the Constitution. Trump has not yet announced who is being considered as the next Navy secretary.

via Dailymotion https://ift.tt/2OLoWKW