"Ukraine - they came out loud and clear that there was no linkage whatsoever, not even a little bit. That was a major statement put out last night by the Foreign Minister of Ukraine and also by the President of Ukraine, and you don't even report it. It's a disgrace, because it said: There was absolutely no linkage. We had a perfect conversation."
"For more than 200 years, presidents have used their authority to offer second chances to deserving individuals, including those in uniform who have served our country. These actions are in keeping with this long history."
The White House hailed the broader move as giving "second chances" to "deserving individuals." President Trump himself added: "when our soldiers have to fight for our country, I want to give them the confidence to fight."Trump is the Commander in Chief, and as such, he has prerogative. Pompeo oversteps his bounds.
There is indeed good reason for confidence among American troops when it comes to war crimes allegations, as Washington regularly fights tooth-and-nail to insulate US servicemen from any such charges. Apparently displeased by an International Criminal Court (ICC) war crimes probe targeting US troops launched in 2017, earlier this year Washington blocked the entry visa of the body's chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, barring her from investigating in the US.
Less than a month prior, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted Washington would not allow American soldiers to live in "fear of unjust prosecutions," despite the fact that he opposes any impartial investigation that could establish whether particular charges have merit, preferring "internal" probes which reliably clear all personnel of wrongdoing.
Perhaps sensing the bad optics of the decision, however, current and former military officials have questioned whether the pardons would send a "bad message" to both US soldiers and the rest of the world. In May, retired General Martin Dempsey suggested the pardons could signal "that we don't take the Law of Armed Conflict seriously."
Despite the apparent concern, the Army said it would nonetheless go through with the pardons in a statement on Friday, acknowledging "the president has the power to grant pardons for federal offenders" under the US Constitution.
Comment: As if who was in the sights of the US wasn't already obvious. One wonders whether the US' very own F-35 is the joker?