Tornado Alley (PROG)

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How Trump is empowering the military -- and raising some eyebrows

"Trump’s Secret Order on Pulling the Cyber Trigger
[...]
I. Driving Decision Responsibility Down
It is by now clear that the Trump administration is pursuing a broad project of driving responsibility for national security decisions down the chain of command, and reducing review by the White House’s National Security Council (NSC) interagency process. The result is to empower agency-level actors, particularly cabinet secretaries, the directors of the NSA and CIA, and military commanders. But decision devolution also drives up risks of uncoordinated government activity. Ultimately, the president is coming to bear less practical responsibility, and potentially less political responsibility, even as he retains ultimate constitutional and moral responsibility for what happens on his watch."

By Jeremy Diamond, CNN

Updated 9:31 AM ET, Mon June 26, 2017

[...]

After a raid gone wrong, questions about accountability

Several former military officers and experts interviewed by CNN said their concerns stemmed from one of the first life-and-death decisions Trump made during his term.

Days after he was sworn in, Trump signed off on a special operations raid in Yemen that would leave dozens of civilians and a US Navy SEAL dead. Senior Chief Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens would be the first service member killed in the line of duty on Trump's watch.

Weeks later -- amid criticism that Trump had hastily approved the raid during a dinner with his defense secretary and with Yemen in uproar over the civilian casualties -- the President punted responsibility to the generals who recommended he approve the raid.

"This was something that was, you know, just -- they wanted to do," Trump said in an interview with Fox News, referring to the US' top military men. "And they came to see me and they explained what they wanted to do, the generals, who are very respected ... And they lost Ryan."

If Trump sticks to that mindset while shifting power to the Pentagon, Schake, the former Bush administration official, said the military faces a "real risk" that it will be stuck with the blame for negative outcomes -- rather than elected officials in Washington, like the President.

But while Trump's moves to give the Pentagon more authority have put some distance between the President and some consequential military decisions, he will be hard-pressed to escape the consequences of those decisions entirely.

Allen, the retired four-star general who praised Trump's moves to give the military "greater flexibility," said Trump "can't dodge culpability and responsibility."

"He's still the commander in chief and he'll still be held accountable," Allen said.

https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/24/politics/trump-pentagon-shift-war-power-military/index.html

Reportedly Bannon was one of the chief advocates of Trump's delegation regime. Knowing Trump as we do even though he will be held accountable for mistakes, and for the increased number of civilian deaths in war, and for American military deaths under his watch, there undoubtedly is little doubt that - in his own mind at least - he is giving himself an out. His attempt to shed personal responsibility for William "Ryan" Owens's death in Yemen is true to Trump's form. Stay tuned for the next one, whether it be a military matter or in a different area of his administration's responsibility.