Sana'a - Saba:
The US administration, specifically the Department of Defense (the Pentagon), has recently been experiencing turmoil, resulting in a wave of resignations and dismissals. The reasons for these resignations were not disclosed, but they included nearly a dozen high-ranking military officials, these resignations "raise questions about how the Pentagon is being run under the former Fox News personality and the leadership he established when he took office just three months ago," according to the Washington Post.
In addition, senators have demanded an explanation from the Secretary of Defense regarding the targeting of civilians in aggressive US airstrikes on Yemen.
The Washington Post reported that the Chief of Staff of the US Department of Defense, Joe Casper, left his post voluntarily, "but his departure exacerbates the instability that has gripped the Defense Department for weeks," according to the newspaper.
The report explained, "Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Chief of Staff left his post on Thursday, the latest development in a long period of turmoil at the Pentagon, which has included internal conflicts among Hegseth's advisors, the dismissal of at least three political appointees, and deepening scrutiny of the secretary's management of Washington's largest government agency." It added, "Casper's departure follows weeks of disagreements between him and Hegseth's other senior advisors, and questions about how the Pentagon will be run under the former Fox News personality and the leadership he established when he took office just three months ago."
"The wave of departures and dismissals—which also affected nearly a dozen high-ranking military officials, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Navy's top admiral—is a sign of turmoil and instability rarely seen at the Pentagon," the report said.
According to the report, "Defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the situation, described Hegseth, 44, as paranoid and increasingly isolated, he is surrounded by a small team of trusted individuals and has become intensely focused on daily news coverage explaining his mistakes and decisions."
The newspaper said: Last week, Hegseth fired three senior advisers: Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll, and Darren Selnick, all three have been charged with leaking information, a point they strongly rejected in a joint statement on Saturday.
John Ullyot, a fourth former staffer, wrote in an op-ed on Sunday that it had been a “month of total chaos at the Pentagon” with a “near-total collapse in the Pentagon’s upper ranks.” He left the Pentagon earlier this month after Hegseth’s team removed him from his position as Pentagon spokesman amid questions about Ullyot’s handling of the position.
The newspaper noted that “Casper, an Air Force veteran, served for years in the Capitol, rising to become chief of staff for Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (R-Calif.), a Marine Corps veteran who was convicted in 2020 of stealing campaign funds. Trump later pardoned the convicted former congressman. Casper, who was not accused of any wrongdoing in Hunter’s ordeal, left the Capitol in 2017 and held positions during the first Trump administration in the Navy, Air Force, and Department of Homeland Security.”
According to the report: "Meanwhile, Hegseth is under review by the Department of Defense Inspector General for his handling of classified information using Signal, a commercially available encrypted messaging app that the U.S. government allows for limited use with unclassified information."
Meanwhile, US senators have demanded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth explain the targeting of civilians in US airstrikes in Yemen.
The Washington Post reported that Democrats have demanded that the Trump administration provide an explanation for the high civilian casualties resulting from its intensified campaign in Yemen.
Three Democratic senators on Thursday called on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to explain the deaths of dozens of civilians in recent US military airstrikes in Yemen.
According to the newspaper, Senators Chris Van Hollen (Maryland), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), and Tim Kaine (Virginia) warned the defense secretary that President Donald Trump's repeated claims that he would be a "peacemaker" in his second term are "false."
Regarding reader comments, the report said: "The comments express grave concern about the impact of US military operations in Yemen, particularly with regard to civilian casualties, many commentators criticize the Trump administration for its perceived disregard for human life and the potential for increased anti-Americanism."
M.M
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