United States' top Nuclear Commander, Air Force Gen. John Hyten says he will resist any 'illegal' presidential directive to launch a nuclear strike on any target. Gen. Hyten made this known at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada. He explained that as an official in charge of nuclear arsenal in the United States, he regularly thinks about the enormous responsibility.
"We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?"
He hinted that he regularly consults the US laws of armed conflict to be abreast of criteria the President must consider before launching nuclear attacks. He listed these conditions to include necessity, Distinction, proportionality and unnecessary suffering.
On what he will do if there is an illegal directive to launch an attack, Gen.
Hyten said;
"I provide advice to the President; he will tell me what to do. And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say: 'Mr President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come up with options, of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works."
"It's not that complicated. If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life, "he added.
His comment is coming months after the President of United States, Donald Trump threatened to rain 'fire and fury the like the world has never seen' on North Korea if it threatens the US.
