US Navy Chief Richard Spencer fired over SEAL commando controversy

US President Donald Trump fired Navy Chief Richard Spencer over a dispute relating to a Navy Seal Commando demotion on charges of committing war crimes. According to the reports, Spencer was fired in a case that Trump had angered the top officials in the US military for interfering in cases related to improper behaviour.

Discord between Trump, Spencer

 

In a letter that was published by the local media outlets, Spencer stated that he no longer shared the same views with his Commander in Chief, in relation to the major factors governing order and discipline and tendered his resignation as the United States Secretary of the Navy.

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US Defence Secretary, Mark Esper, said that he had Spencer to step down after losing trust and confidence in him regarding his lack of honesty in relation to the conversations he had with the White House. He further added that Spencer's conduct had deeply troubled him.

The incident focuses on Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher who had been charged for committing war crimes but was later found guilty of a much lesser offence. However, Donald Trump who is also the commander in chief of the US military reversed the decision that was initially taken to decide Gallagher's fate.

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Gallagher to retire

Trump had posted a tweet saying that the SEAL has suffered unfair treatment at the hands of the Navy and that Richard Spencer had been asked to step down over an apparent failure to acknowledge budget overruns. Trump also said that he would not be court-martialed from the forces and added that Gallagher will retire with dignity and the honours that he has earned. 

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Gallagher was subject to allegations that he had stabbed an Islamic State prisoner in Iraq in 2017 and was also accused of attempting to murder other civilians and causing obstruction of Justice and because of that, he was demoted from the rank of a chief petty officer to a petty officer first class. However, he was cleared of the previous accusations but was charged for posing with the body of an extremist fighter in a group picture with other SEAL's.

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(With inputs from agencies)