Memo to the JCS: Ignore Unlawful Gitmo Order

Yesterday, sixteen Members of Congress who have served our country in uniform wrote the Joint Chiefs of Staff respectfully warning the military leadership against executing any order from the Commander-in-Chief to bring jihadists currently held at Guantanamo Bay into the United States.

In a letter organized by Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas, the signatories noted that overwhelming, bipartisan majorities have repeatedly prohibited any such transfer. Indeed, even Mr. Obama’s Attorney General, Lauretta Lynch, testified last week that “the law does not allow” bringing Gitmo detainees here.

That would make any direction from Obama to do it an unlawful order. And military personnel are required by the Uniform Code of Military Justice to disobey such orders.

Our thanks go out to those in Congress who once had that duty – and who have now afforded their still-serving comrades the political cover to do theirs.