Posted on 02/28/2025 1:23:37 AM PST by Libloather
President Trump has streamlined the process for the US military to carry out airstrikes and raids against terrorist targets by removing policies implemented by former President Joe Biden that limited what commanders could order without executive approval, according to a report.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a directive in Germany earlier this month that officially softened the Biden-era policy constraints and executive oversight needed for airstrikes and the deployment of commandos, CBS News reported on Thursday.
The directive, centered on giving commanders more flexibility, also broadens the scope of individuals the military can target, according to the outlet, which cited US officials.
The move signals a return to the aggressive counterterrorism policies Trump pursued during his first term, which the president insists resulted in the virtual annihilation of the ISIS terror group.
A senior Pentagon official told CBS News that Biden’s policies on military strikes were “carbon copies” of former President Barack Obama’s second-term orders – which focused on targeting the senior leadership of terrorist groups.
The official warned that Trump’s approach carries both “risks and rewards,” noting that it may result in terrorist capabilities being taken out more swiftly but also raises the chances of civilian casualties.
Somalia-based terror group al Shabaab and the Houthis in Yemen have been discussed as potential targets under the new orders.
Under Biden and Obama certain airstrikes were required to adhere to a “multi-layered process of regulations and high-level vetting,” requiring review from military lawyers and the approvals of seven individuals, including the president, according to CBS News. If one person objected to the strike, it would not be carried out.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
One thing that has always made our military so effective was
to move decision making down to the people actually there.
Not Soviet/Chinese/Democrat style central control.
I was a low level Senior NCO. I made some decisions that affected some international operations
I was cautioned that I might want to consult
higher ranks. But in a time frame that is very short at 3 AM I always felt empowered to do what the rule book said to do.
I grounded aircraft with a few hundred people in it.
Aircrew Officers did not argue with me.
I signed off on safety of flight. Aircrew could have ignored me. None ever did.
US Military backbone is the NCO’s
This works as long as there is synchrony between "our" national objectives and the Commander in Chief. "The people actually there", of which I have sometimes been, are just executing the directives if the Commander in Chief.
President Trump puts America first, again-——he streamlined the process
for the US military to carry out airstrikes and raids against terrorist targets.
Trump thankfully removed cockamamie policies implemented by Joe Biden
that limited what commanders could order without executive approval.
7 person review process.
7 Biden idiots signed off on the missle strike that took out thay Afghan family of 10 and now the press is worried about civilian casualties with Trump’s new policy.
Yup.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.