“They were clever all they did was state the code.”
As the British say, you are being clever by half.
No, they did not just state the code; they encouraged the servicemen to violate the code. The code does not allow for personal intrepretation, but allows for misgivings thru chain of command, not just blatant disobeying.
If they were only doing what you say, they would have enmpahsisized the appeal process, not just not disobeying.
I still like Glenn Beck’s take: If that had happened in Russia, people would have thought a coup was occurring.
I have a former JAG friend who says a conviction would be unlikely because its too “implied”.
Anyway they want a big trial where they can turn it into a circus of political martyrdom. It would be foolish to give that circus to them.