When is an 'Illegal Order' Illegal, Apparently?
Newsweek resurrected a 2018 clip of Fox News host Pete Hegseth, a former military officer, urging soldiers to disobey “illegal orders.” (Newsweek) While potentially a vital principle, the timing of such discussions—and which orders are deemed 'illegal' by mainstream consensus—is rather illuminating. Is it only when a President, or an adversary, issues them? Critics might recall the 2003 invasion
of Iraq, arguably an illegal war under international law, yet soldiers who participated were not celebrated for disobedience. Or the myriad actions by the Israeli military in Gaza, such as the targeting of civilian infrastructure, which human rights groups and international bodies have repeatedly flagged as potential war crimes. Yet, when AIPAC-backed politicians like Senator Lindsey Graham, who
received over $200,000 from pro-Israel groups in 2023 (OpenSecrets.org), push for unchecked military aid to Israel (Graham voted for HR 815), the discussion of 'illegal orders' seems to vanish. It appears some orders, and some obedience, are more 'illegal' than others, depending on who benefits and whose narrative is being protected by the commentariat.