Latest news with #militaryneutrality
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Fort Bragg soldiers behind Trump during speech were screened for loyalty and appearance, report says: ‘No fat soldiers'
Soldiers appearing near President Donald Trump at a Tuesday speech at Fort Bragg were reportedly screened for their partisan politics and physical appearance. Ahead of Trump's visit to the North Carolina base, service members were asked to alert superiors if they had political differences with Trump so they could be removed, reports, citing internal 82nd Airborne Division communications. "If soldiers have political views that are in opposition to the current administration and they don't want to be in the audience then they need to speak with their leadership and get swapped out," one note to troops obtained by the outlet said. Another allegedly focused on the troops' physical appearance, bluntly commanding, 'No fat soldiers.' "This has been a bad week for the Army for anyone who cares about us being a neutral institution," a commander at Fort Bragg told the outlet. "This was shameful. I don't expect anything to come out of it, but I hope maybe we can learn from it long term." The Independent has contacted the 82nd Airborne Division for comment. During Trump's visit, a vendor was also reportedly allowed to sell campaign-style Make America Great Again merchandise to troops, and the crowd of soldiers booed and cheered at Trump's partisan speech, all of which broke with the military's tradition and regulations around remaining non-political. "Believe me, no one needs to be encouraged to boo the media," Sean Parnell, a top Pentagon spokesperson, said in response to the reporting. "Look no further than this query, which is nothing more than a disgraceful attempt to ruin the lives of young soldiers." The Tuesday speech in question saw Trump lash out at Democratic opponents like California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, baselessly accusing them of paying L.A. protesters and backing 'troublemakers, agitators and insurrectionists.' The president also defended his decision to send federalized California National Guard troops into the Los Angeles crisis over the objections of state and local leaders. 'Generations of Army heroes did not shed their blood on distant shores only to watch our country be destroyed by invasion and third-world lawlessness here at home, like is happening in California,' Trump said. 'As Commander in Chief, I will not let that happen. It's never going to happen.' Some criticized the event, arguing Trump was breaking longstanding political norms around respecting the military's independence. 'No president in modern history has done more to put the military in the middle of political and cultural crossfire than Donald Trump,' one columnist wrote in The New York Times. The criticisms come as Trump has pushed the boundaries of military norms in response to the Los Angeles protests by federalizing state National Guard troops and sending Marines to join in with the local police response to the civil unrest, coming perilously close to using the military for domestic law enforcement. The president has also vowed to use force on those who protest a Saturday parade in Washington for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army's founding that coincides with Trump's birthday. Other presidents have been accused of using appearances alongside the military for political points, including Joe Biden, who was criticized for a 2022 anti-Trump speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia that featured Marines in dress uniforms in the background.
Irish Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Government wants progress on scrapping triple lock before Dáil break
The Government wants progress on proposals to scrap the State's triple-lock system for the deployment of Defence Forces troops overseas before the Dáil's summer recess. The aim of the Bill is to remove the effective veto of permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Ireland deploying more than 12 troops on missions abroad. There has been sharp Opposition criticism of the proposals amid concern over the implications for the Republic's military neutrality. Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris updated Cabinet on the plans for the general scheme – or draft outline – of the Bill to be submitted to the Oireachtas Committee on Defence and National Security this week for pre-legislative scrutiny. READ MORE Mr Harris has previously said that under the current triple lock system 'countries like [UNSC member] Russia have the power to veto Ireland's participation in missions' and 'we don't believe that [Vladimir] Putin or other leaders should have a veto on whether our troops can be deployed'. He has insisted the proposed amendments 'in no way affect' Ireland's policy of military neutrality. This month Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Opposition would work together and 'fight like hell' to stop the Government's plans, saying their message is 'hands off Ireland's neutrality'. The Government is hoping the pre-legislative scrutiny process for a proposed Bill can be completed before the Dáil is due to go into recess for its summer break in mid-July. This would pave the way for the subsequent drafting of the full legislation to get rid of the triple lock. Separately, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke sought Cabinet approval for proposed legislation to expand access to the Insolvency Payments Scheme (IPS) for employees of businesses that have ceased trading but have not been formally wound up. [ How did the 'triple lock' on Irish troop deployments come into being - and why is it ending? Opens in new window ] The current system only provides for potential access to outstanding debts like arrears of wages or sick pay in circumstances where the employer has become legally insolvent. The planned Protection of Employees (Employers' Insolvency) (Amendment) Bill 2025 is aimed at allowing former employees of businesses that have not gone through a formal wind-up process to claim pay-related entitlements. Meanwhile, Minister for Higher Education James Lawless updated Cabinet on supports for people with intellectual disabilities to access third-level education. There are currently 173 students with intellectual disabilities enrolled in 11 universities and other higher education institutions. Some €22 million has been allocated to Path (Programme for Access to Higher Education) schemes since 2017 The Cabinet heard that Mr Lawless intends to take the Path programmes off pilot funding models, replacing them with more sustainable funding. The goal of this change is to allow higher education institutions to consider longer-term projects aimed at increasing inclusion.
