Marine Gunnery Sgt. Ret. Carl Able on Following Illegal Orders
Retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Carl Abel says that if he were one of the war fighters ordered to kill those two sailers clinging from that bombed out fishing boat supposedly filled with drugs, he “probably would have refused” following illegal orders.
This clip is edited from the following comments by Abel on the complete Lean to the Left podcast, “Why a Marine Veteran Walked Away from the GOP.”
Here is the complete commentary on this topic:
[00:17:26] Carl Able: I personally probably would’ve refused that follow on order. However, the UCMJ sets a standard, right? It there, there’s a point at which you either, if it’s questionable and it’s something that you know you’re not sure about and you think it might be illegal, but it’s still vague, right? You follow the order and then you report it to your JAG officer.
[00:17:47] And then the other one is if you know for a fact that it’s a violation then you absolutely refuse it and report it to a jag officer. There was an admiral who was given an order to conduct
[00:18:00] these types of actions, and that admiral said no and was subsequently removed from his position.
[00:18:06] With regards to the war fighters, more than likely, and I can’t, i’m postulating here. More than likely they landed on the side of I, this is gray area. We’re gonna follow the order. But we’re gonna report it later. As far as that order being double taps it’s unlawful. If you really dig into it.
[00:18:24] The minute that those, first of all the fact that they were on a fishing boat. Posing zero threat to any US forces or US personnel or US citizens. It makes it questionable. But the fact that they were also designated as part of a terrorist organization. It makes them a military target.
[00:18:43] So it’s one of those questionable gray area situations.
[00:18:46] Bob Gatty: They were designated by trump.
[00:18:49] Carl Able: And the executive branch has the authority to do that. The executive branch has the authority to designate organizations as terrorist organizations, alright? For the purpose of
[00:19:00] allocating Money and allocating resources and funding and orienting the intelligence apparatus.
[00:19:06] So like that part was okay. But, and it does give him coverage there. However, The area where there it is more black and white is the minute that boat was destroyed. And those two individuals were just holding on for dear life. There was no justifiable method to determine that they were a threat.
[00:19:24] And so they became non-combatants and we killed them.
If you value thoughtful conversations, political Clarity, and voices willing to challenge tribalism, consider subscribing and sharing this episode: https://youtu.be/hFkxVrERMro
For many years, Bob Gatty worked as a writer, editor, and communications consultant, based on the Washington, DC area with a focus on government and politics. He began at The Pittsburgh Courier, an African American weekly, covering crime and the courts. His salary was $55 per week before moving on to two local Pennsylvania dailies. At age 24, he began reporting for United Press International covering state politics in Pennsylvania and then New Jersey, where he was UPI’s state capitol bureau in Trenton.
Tempted by the allure of Washington, DC and big-time politics, at age 29 Bob became press secretary and chief of staff for two Congressmen – first Republican Edwin B. Forsythe, and then Democrat James J. Florio, who later became governor of New Jersey and until his recent death was a frequent podcast guest and co-host of Bob’s NFN Radio News podcast (now called Lean to the Left).
After seven years on Capitol Hill, Bob opened a communications business in Washington, first providing political media consulting to candidates and then freelance Washington coverage for business and trade magazines, plus creative communications services for trade and professional associations, including social media. This work involved articles and analyses of key governmental developments affecting businesses, such as the food and Health industries, retailing, and the environment.
His work as a communications consultant to trade and professional associations included launching and editing association publications, providing website content and social media assistance, and covering conferences and conventions.
Bob retired from G-Net Strategic Communications in 2016 and moved to Myrtle Beach, SC, where he launched his blog site, first called Not Fake News, now known as Lean to the Left.
Hijacked Nation
In August, 2020, Bob and co-author Chris Waldron, one of Lean to the Left's most loyal and prolific contributor, published "Hijacked Nation-Donald Trump's Attack on America's Greatness," a two-volume compilation of blogs regarding Trump's presidency and the consequences for our nation. A followup volume was published by Luna Global Media in September 2024. It is available at https://amzn.to/4ePrTF7 .
In all three volumes, blogs from Not Fake News and Lean to the Left create a virtual play-by-play of key actions of the Trump administration and Congress. For more information, please visit https://leantotheleft.net/books/, and visit Bob's Author's Page on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bob-Gatty/author/B08C7HWXZ5?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=4e603563-7251-4074-b54d-40800c4ce40a.
The Lean to the Left Podcast
The Lean to the Left podcast provides commentary and interviews with newsmakers and others with interesting stories to tell. Video and audio podcasts stream twice weekly on major channels. More info at https://podcast.leantotheleft.net.
The Lean to the Left YouTube Channel
You'll find all of the audio tracks for the Lean to the Left Podcast here plus original videos, including complete video versions of each podcast.
https://www.youtube.com/@LeantotheLeft.
