The man who served both Presidents Obama and Trump as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has blasted the generals and admirals who signed a blistering open letter questioning President Biden's ability to do his job.
General Joseph Dunford, known as Fighting Joe in his 42-year career, rounded on the signatories of the missive which claims the Commander in Chief's 'mental and physical condition cannot be ignored' – and perpetuates election fraud allegations.
The retired four-star general – in the top job from 2015 to 2019 – exclusively told: 'It is inappropriate for them to comment on the performance of the President.'
He was adamant to reinforce that his criticism was aimed at former senior officers trying to influence policy and did not want to be embroiled in commenting on the accusations themselves.
Dunford said: 'I don't believe it is appropriate for retired military officers to be publicly critical of administration policy in or out of uniform.
'It is perfectly legitimate for us to provide substantive input and advice.
'But when it comes to assessing the capabilities of the Commander in Chief to perform his duty, when it comes to being critical of policy, my own view is that this undermines proper civil military relations.'
General Joseph Dunford, left, rounded on the signatories of the missive which claims Joe Biden's 'mental and physical condition cannot be ignored'. He served both Presidents Obama and Trump as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Dunford took on the most senior military role in the United States in October 2015 after being nominated by President Obama as part of a stellar career in the United States Marine Corp. He was nominated for a second term in 2017 by President Trump and retired in November, 2019.
It was while leading his US Marines regiment in the 2003 invasion of Iraq that he earned the nickname Fighting Joe, under the command of senior officer and later US Secretary of Defense James Mattis.
His powerful condemnation has added to a welter of opposition to the letter, branded 'bizarre, shameful and untrue' by former First Lady and losing presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Clinton, a former member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, had close ties with senior military members while in Congress. She also served at the nation's top diplomat in the Obama administration before Trump's 2016 election victory.
Other ex-senior military officers, analysts and academics have also pushed back against the former top brass for launching a 'partisan' attack'.
The letter was produced by the group Flag Officers 4 America, whose website said it has now gained 124 signatures.
Hillary Clinton on Thursday also blasted the group of retired admirals and generals who penned a blistering open letter that questioned President Joe Biden's mental fitness and put forward some of Donald Trump's election fraud claims.
Alongside a link to a story about the letter, the former secretary of state tweeted: 'Bizarre, shameful, and untrue.'
Clinton, a former member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, forged ties with senior military members while in Congress, before serving as the nation's top diplomat in the Obama administration and losing the presidential election to Donald Trump in 2016.
The pushback also comes from some prominent former military members, including academics, who called out their fellow former officers for launching a 'partisan' attack, that did not even fall in an election year.
Jim Golby, an expert in civil-military relations, tore into the effort in comments to Politico as a 'shameful effort to use their rank and the military's reputation for such a gross and blatant partisan attack.'
Retired Air Force colonel Marybeth Ulrich, who teaches at the Air Force Academy, termed it 'anti-democratic.'
The retired military officers did not quibble with their compatriots expressing political views – but in joining in a sweeping attack on the commander in chief.
Also ripping the effort was retired Adm. Mike Mullen, who served as chair of the joint chiefs of staff and outranks those on the letter, said: 'I think it hurts the military and by extension it hurts the country. He cast it as 'right-wing Republican talking points.'
'This is really, to my mind, a classic very bad example of the erosion of civil-military relations in America, which is the bedrock of our democracy,' another retired military leader, Army Col. Jeffrey McCausland, told HuffPost.
Alongside a link to a story about the letter, Clinton tweeted: 'Bizarre, shameful, and untrue.'
A group of more than 120 retired military officers have written President Joe Biden (pictured Wednesday) to tell him his election was less than legitimate
Senior officers, including former members of the joint chiefs of staff, have occasionally put their name to documents that fit a political context – including one days after the Jan. 6th riots.
'The violent riot in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021 was a direct assault on the U.S. Congress, the Capitol building, and our Constitutional process,' the joint chiefs wrote in a letter to the Armed Forces days after the attack.
'We witnessed actions inside the Capitol building that were inconsistent with the rule of law. The rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection,' they wrote.
The pushback came after a group of more than 120 retired military officers have written to President Joe Biden to tell him his election was less than legitimate – while questioning his mental acuity.
The letter echoes former President Donald Trump's claims of widespread election fraud – which have not been borne out in the courts – and comes on a day when Rep. Liz Cheney ripped Trump for his claim that the election was 'stolen.'
'Without fair and honest elections that accurately reflect the 'will of the people' our Constitutional Republic is lost,' the letter from retired officers says.
Maj. Gen. Joe Arbuckle
The group calls itself 'Flag Officers 4 America' and consists of retired military officers including generals and admirals.
'The FBI and Supreme Court must act swiftly when election irregularities are surfaced and not ignore them as was done in 2020,' they wrote.
The letter, called an 'Open Letter from Retired Generals and Admirals,' was reported by Politico.
It echoes Trump's claims that absentee ballots are not secure as it goes after Biden, who serves as Commander in Chief of the military.
'Election integrity demands insuring there is one legal vote cast and counted per citizen. Legal votes are identified by State Legislature's approved controls using government IDs, verified signatures, etc,' they write.
'Today, many are calling such commonsense [voter ID] controls 'racist' in an attempt to avoid having fair and honest elections. Using racial terms to suppress proof of eligibility is itself a tyrannical intimidation tactic,' they write.
The retired officers raise doubts about Biden's mental capacity – and reference Speaker Nancy Pelosi's move to get assurances about the nuclear codes in the days after the January 6 MAGA riot.
The 'Open Letter from Retired Generals and Admirals' blasts Biden for 'excessive lockdowns' and 'censorship of written and verbal expression,' while questioning his mental acuity
The retired officers hit the Iran nuclear deal and even slap Biden for stopping the Keystone Pipeline project, while saying 'anarchy' in cities cannot be tolerated
'The mental and physical condition of the Commander in Chief cannot be ignored. He must be able to quickly make accurate national security decisions involving life and limb anywhere, day or night,' they write.
'Recent Democrat leadership's inquiries about nuclear code procedures sends a dangerous national security signal to nuclear armed adversaries, raising the question about who is in charge. We must always have an unquestionable chain of command.'
The group Flag Officers 4 America call themselves 'retired military leaders who pledged to support and defend the Constitution of the US against all enemies, foreign and domestic.'
The letter is a counterpoint to impactful public statements by national security officials who weighed in for Biden during the campaign. One such effort came when 10 former secretaries of Defense penned an extraordinary op-ed in the Washington Post warning there is 'no role' for the U.S. military in the outcome of U.S. elections, and stating the importance of a peaceful transfer of power.
That letter came three days before the Capitol riot.
The signers of the attached their names to the letter. Among them was Maj. Gen. Joe Arbuckle, who served in Vietnam and later commanded the US Army Industrial Operations Command (IOC) at Rock Island, Illinois.
Arbuckle, who organized the effort, told Politico: 'Retired generals and admirals normally do not engage in political actions, but the situation facing our nation today is dire.'
He continued: 'We are facing threats greater than at any other time since our country was founded. To remain silent would be a dereliction of duty.'
The effort drew immediate pushback from military members who lamented people who wore the uniform jumping into an organized political effort.
More than 120 former military officers signed the letter, including Gen. William Boykin (left) and John Poindexter (right)
Members of the military vote in elections and have protected constitutional rights, but military leaders have warned of the risks of intruding in domestic politics.
In the run-up to 2020, retired Gen. James Mattis denounced Trump, whom he served as Defense Secretary, in a June response to the events at Lafayette Square. 'We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution,' Mattis wrote.
Other signers of the anti-Biden letter included include Vice Adm. John Poindexter, who was convicted in the Iran-Contra Affair.
Also signing on was Army Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc, who lost the Republican primary in 2020 to challenge Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, and is planning another Senate run.
Another signer, Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, who was termed anti-Muslim for his comments to a Christian congregation, CBS previously reported, after Boykin said of a Somali warlord: 'I knew that my God was bigger than his.'
No comments:
Post a Comment