Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s pledge of “no quarter, no mercy for our enemies” violates a bright‑line ban in the laws of war, legal experts say.
International humanitarian law explicitly forbids declaring that “no quarter will be given” or threatening to fight on that basis, treating it as a war crime on par with targeting fighters who are wounded or attempting to surrender.
New York University law professor Ryan Goodman tells Axios that the defense secretary is “putting the American military on a track to lawlessness in which we will lose more and more allies.”
“The best thing Secretary Hegseth can do for the country and for the US military is to say he misspoke and to retract the statement,” said Goodman, who is also co-editor-in-chief of the national security journal Just Security.
B-Z_B-S on
Pete Hegseth wants to commit war crimes because he thinks that makes him powerful. It doesn’t. His lack of honor makes him wretched and small.
Aware_Cheesecake_519 on
This alarmed me, just as it alarmed the legal experts.
TheViolaRules on
I get it, but I also want to allow for dudebro being too stupid to know what it means.
Not sending rescue craft after all the boats he’s been blowing up though, that indicates the opposite
No_Cantaloupe_4149 on
let’s put it this way: There is no international “pardon”. Trump may pardon all of them but that still won’t clean their sheet of war crimes.
MrTestiggles on
To be entirely fair to Secretary Hesgeth, he has no idea what ‘no quarter’ means outside of a cool line he’s heard in a movie
The entire administration is run by people who peaked in highschool and in many cases mentally still there.
literallytwisted on
Even if he gets a pardon there’s no reason we can’t just hand him and the other traitors over to another nation for trial, Those laws and norms they got rid of protected them as much as anything else.
Verum_Orbis on
This puts American servicemembers in more danger. It’s incredibly idiotic to say.
Its_pipo on
No quarter” is literally a war crime doctrine and the fact that this needs explaining to a Defense Secretary nominee is genuinely terrifying
Pearl_Nebula on
“No quarter” means take no prisoners. Kill everyone. That’s literally a war crime under the Geneva Convention. Hegseth should know this.
jtthom on
They weren’t alarmed when he said “maximum lethality, not tepid legality”?
Man’s an awful poet, it was hardly cryptic
Basic_Yam_715 on
It certainly will play at his trial.
amprather on
I look forward to January 2029 when Hegseth is delivered to the Hague by the US.
Amethyst_Ceres on
Legal experts are alarmed cause this isn’t a game. “No quarter” is a specific term with specific meaning. It means execute prisoners.
NovelDraft5175 on
War criminals
BigBangAssBanger_3D on
And yet, no one’s going to do anything about it as the US Government are full of enablers or ineffectual morons. And the rest of the world might be the next to be “No Quartered” by this dipshit.
coreychch on
Hegseth acts like a fake GI Joe, combs his hair, does his makeup, and puffs out his chest to act all manly and tough – and at the same time has no idea about war or the consequences of it. Offering “no quarter” to their enemies will come back to haunt him if their enemies get hold of any U.S. military personnel. If they start slaughtering everyone you can expect Iran to do the same.
Quick_Parking_6464 on
“No quarter.” He’s been watch *Master and Commander* or *Lawrence of Arabia*, particularly that “no mercy” scene.: [https://youtu.be/aARaYjgm_rA?si=rireJHQTDBd0KHMr](https://youtu.be/aARaYjgm_rA?si=rireJHQTDBd0KHMr)
Buck7698 on
Hegseth and the other cabinet members are a great example of the new DEI hiring policy: Dumb Embarrassing Idiots.
chimusicguy on
Great Led Zeppelin song, bad defense policy.
Surturiel on
It’s a war crime to declare “no quarter”. So he commited a war crime in the pulpit.
Time to arrest and prosecute this POS.
Max123Dani on
I was alarmed a long time ago.
squareplates on
Mark Kelly and crew might need to make another video. This time, remind everyone that “no quarter,” specifically, is an illegal order, and service members are duty‑bound not to obey it.
BerryLanky on
If this were an 80’s movie ask yourself who would be the over the top villains?
gleaf008 on
He does not know what he is doing. This cabinet post should be a career high-ranking military veteran.
SnottNormal on
Trump campaigned on “you have to go after their families” in 2016. These people continue to be who they’ve said they are.
Belkroe on
What a an absolute fucking moron. Hegseth is too dumb or probably doesn’t care but this no quarter bullshit endangers us servicemen. During World War 2 the US would make sure to capture, not kills enemy combatants. This action was reciprocated by the enemy. The fact is, it’s not a sign of weakness or wokism to not go indiscriminately killing every enemy we engage, it’s too our own benefit, it helps with the safety of our troops. But DUI Hegseth could care less.
coldcoffee007 on
And this fucking goon calls himself a Christian
Potential-Fan-6148 on
Giving no quarter has been considered a war crime since ancient times.
TheFutureIsAFriend on
He’s a bully working for a bully. Both feel immune to things like accountability.
etxipcli on
He’s so weird. Always talking about lethality. This guy should be in prison for murder.
SurroundTiny on
Experts seem to be perpetually alarmed
Different_Victory_89 on
Yeah, no quarter means no prisoners, no survivors, and is a bona fide war crime.
bestforward121 on
Never mind that in a battle you want to encourage your enemy to surrender to avoid the losses you’ll take if you have to fight them to the last man.
Just read some stories about the marines fighting the Japanese in WWII.
Inspectorgadget4250 on
Hey Hegseth, you can’t be pardoned for war crimes
ImmaNotHere on
What, like “no rules of engagement” wasn’t enough to alarm people?
testtdk on
The next democratic candidate should push for signing the Geneva Conventions so we can send these fucks to The Hague.
Oceanbreeze871 on
He literally committed a war crime by declaring it. Per the law he deserves life in prison.
Ok_Sea9128 on
For heavens sake! Is kiddie time at the pool over yet? Can we please put the adults back in charge of our country?
39 Comments
From the article:
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s pledge of “no quarter, no mercy for our enemies” violates a bright‑line ban in the laws of war, legal experts say.
International humanitarian law explicitly forbids declaring that “no quarter will be given” or threatening to fight on that basis, treating it as a war crime on par with targeting fighters who are wounded or attempting to surrender.
New York University law professor Ryan Goodman tells Axios that the defense secretary is “putting the American military on a track to lawlessness in which we will lose more and more allies.”
“The best thing Secretary Hegseth can do for the country and for the US military is to say he misspoke and to retract the statement,” said Goodman, who is also co-editor-in-chief of the national security journal Just Security.
Pete Hegseth wants to commit war crimes because he thinks that makes him powerful. It doesn’t. His lack of honor makes him wretched and small.
This alarmed me, just as it alarmed the legal experts.
I get it, but I also want to allow for dudebro being too stupid to know what it means.
Not sending rescue craft after all the boats he’s been blowing up though, that indicates the opposite
let’s put it this way: There is no international “pardon”. Trump may pardon all of them but that still won’t clean their sheet of war crimes.
To be entirely fair to Secretary Hesgeth, he has no idea what ‘no quarter’ means outside of a cool line he’s heard in a movie
The entire administration is run by people who peaked in highschool and in many cases mentally still there.
Even if he gets a pardon there’s no reason we can’t just hand him and the other traitors over to another nation for trial, Those laws and norms they got rid of protected them as much as anything else.
This puts American servicemembers in more danger. It’s incredibly idiotic to say.
No quarter” is literally a war crime doctrine and the fact that this needs explaining to a Defense Secretary nominee is genuinely terrifying
“No quarter” means take no prisoners. Kill everyone. That’s literally a war crime under the Geneva Convention. Hegseth should know this.
They weren’t alarmed when he said “maximum lethality, not tepid legality”?
Man’s an awful poet, it was hardly cryptic
It certainly will play at his trial.
I look forward to January 2029 when Hegseth is delivered to the Hague by the US.
Legal experts are alarmed cause this isn’t a game. “No quarter” is a specific term with specific meaning. It means execute prisoners.
War criminals
And yet, no one’s going to do anything about it as the US Government are full of enablers or ineffectual morons. And the rest of the world might be the next to be “No Quartered” by this dipshit.
Hegseth acts like a fake GI Joe, combs his hair, does his makeup, and puffs out his chest to act all manly and tough – and at the same time has no idea about war or the consequences of it. Offering “no quarter” to their enemies will come back to haunt him if their enemies get hold of any U.S. military personnel. If they start slaughtering everyone you can expect Iran to do the same.
“No quarter.” He’s been watch *Master and Commander* or *Lawrence of Arabia*, particularly that “no mercy” scene.: [https://youtu.be/aARaYjgm_rA?si=rireJHQTDBd0KHMr](https://youtu.be/aARaYjgm_rA?si=rireJHQTDBd0KHMr)
Hegseth and the other cabinet members are a great example of the new DEI hiring policy: Dumb Embarrassing Idiots.
Great Led Zeppelin song, bad defense policy.
It’s a war crime to declare “no quarter”. So he commited a war crime in the pulpit.
Time to arrest and prosecute this POS.
I was alarmed a long time ago.
Mark Kelly and crew might need to make another video. This time, remind everyone that “no quarter,” specifically, is an illegal order, and service members are duty‑bound not to obey it.
If this were an 80’s movie ask yourself who would be the over the top villains?
He does not know what he is doing. This cabinet post should be a career high-ranking military veteran.
Trump campaigned on “you have to go after their families” in 2016. These people continue to be who they’ve said they are.
What a an absolute fucking moron. Hegseth is too dumb or probably doesn’t care but this no quarter bullshit endangers us servicemen. During World War 2 the US would make sure to capture, not kills enemy combatants. This action was reciprocated by the enemy. The fact is, it’s not a sign of weakness or wokism to not go indiscriminately killing every enemy we engage, it’s too our own benefit, it helps with the safety of our troops. But DUI Hegseth could care less.
And this fucking goon calls himself a Christian
Giving no quarter has been considered a war crime since ancient times.
He’s a bully working for a bully. Both feel immune to things like accountability.
He’s so weird. Always talking about lethality. This guy should be in prison for murder.
Experts seem to be perpetually alarmed
Yeah, no quarter means no prisoners, no survivors, and is a bona fide war crime.
Never mind that in a battle you want to encourage your enemy to surrender to avoid the losses you’ll take if you have to fight them to the last man.
Just read some stories about the marines fighting the Japanese in WWII.
Hey Hegseth, you can’t be pardoned for war crimes
What, like “no rules of engagement” wasn’t enough to alarm people?
The next democratic candidate should push for signing the Geneva Conventions so we can send these fucks to The Hague.
He literally committed a war crime by declaring it. Per the law he deserves life in prison.
For heavens sake! Is kiddie time at the pool over yet? Can we please put the adults back in charge of our country?