When Senator Angus King pressed him on it.
King asked, “Are you rejecting Title 18 and Title 42, I think, also has provisions that incorporate the Geneva Convention and the laws of armed combat. Are you saying that those laws should be repealed? That is the law of the land right now.”
“Senator, we have laws on the books from the Geneva Conventions into the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and then underneath that you have layers in which standard or temporary rules of engagement are put into place. We fight enemies also as our generation understands that play by no rules. They use civilians as human shields –” Hegseth said as he avoided the question.
King then followed up, “So are you saying that the Geneva Convention should not be observed?”
“We follow rules, but we don't need burdensome rules of engagement that make it impossible for us to win these wars,” Hegseth replied.
Later in the exchange, King said, “You’re saying two different things: you are saying we follow rules but we don't have to follow the rules in all cases, is that correct? Burdensome rules?”
“Senator, I am making an important tactical distinction that war fighters will understand, that there are other goals we swear an oath to defend….” Hegseth said.
In one final attempt to get an answer, King asked again: “I just want to be clear, are we going to abide by the Geneva Convention and the prohibitions on torture or are we not? Or is it going to depend on the circumstances?”
Hegseth replied, unable to tell Senator King that he would abide by the international laws of warfare: “…What an America first national security policy is not going to do is hand its prerogatives over to international bodies that make decisions about how our men and women make decisions on the battlefield. America first understands we send Americans for a clear mission and a clear objective, we equip them properly for that objective—and we give them everything they need and then we stand behind them with the rules of engagement that allow them to fight decisively to defeat America’s enemies which is why we sit quietly and peacefully in this conference room.”
King asked, “Are you rejecting Title 18 and Title 42, I think, also has provisions that incorporate the Geneva Convention and the laws of armed combat. Are you saying that those laws should be repealed? That is the law of the land right now.”
“Senator, we have laws on the books from the Geneva Conventions into the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and then underneath that you have layers in which standard or temporary rules of engagement are put into place. We fight enemies also as our generation understands that play by no rules. They use civilians as human shields –” Hegseth said as he avoided the question.
King then followed up, “So are you saying that the Geneva Convention should not be observed?”
“We follow rules, but we don't need burdensome rules of engagement that make it impossible for us to win these wars,” Hegseth replied.
Later in the exchange, King said, “You’re saying two different things: you are saying we follow rules but we don't have to follow the rules in all cases, is that correct? Burdensome rules?”
“Senator, I am making an important tactical distinction that war fighters will understand, that there are other goals we swear an oath to defend….” Hegseth said.
In one final attempt to get an answer, King asked again: “I just want to be clear, are we going to abide by the Geneva Convention and the prohibitions on torture or are we not? Or is it going to depend on the circumstances?”
Hegseth replied, unable to tell Senator King that he would abide by the international laws of warfare: “…What an America first national security policy is not going to do is hand its prerogatives over to international bodies that make decisions about how our men and women make decisions on the battlefield. America first understands we send Americans for a clear mission and a clear objective, we equip them properly for that objective—and we give them everything they need and then we stand behind them with the rules of engagement that allow them to fight decisively to defeat America’s enemies which is why we sit quietly and peacefully in this conference room.”