Sun Dec 07 09:10:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the core points of the provided text:
Trump and Hegseth’s South American “Campaign” Threatens Military’s Core Principles
By [Your Name/News Agency]
A new opinion piece argues that actions by Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth during a supposed military campaign in South America are not only unconstitutional and illegal, but also fundamentally undermine the character of the American military.
The author, David French, bases his argument on the Department of Defense Law of War Manual, which explicitly prohibits soldiers from following orders that violate the laws of war. The manual states that soldiers must refuse orders to perform conduct that is clearly illegal or that the subordinate knows is illegal. The manual gives the example of firing upon the shipwrecked being clearly illegal.
A key point of contention is the prohibition of “no quarter” orders – directives to kill all combatants, including prisoners, the sick, and the wounded. The manual emphasizes that it is forbidden to declare that no quarter will be given and that hostilities should never be conducted on the basis that there will be no survivors.
French distinguishes between the mandatory “laws of war,” which all soldiers are legally obligated to follow, and “rules of engagement,” which are more restrictive guidelines set by commanders. He argues that the alleged actions of Trump and Hegseth disregard the fundamental legal and ethical obligations of the American military as defined by the laws of war.
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