The Navy Seal at the centre of a high-profile war crimes case has been ordered to appear before Navy leaders Wednesday morning, and is expected to be notified that the Navy intends to oust him from the elite commando force, two Navy officials have said.
The move could put the Seal commander, rear admiral Collin Green, in direct conflict with president Donald Trump, who last week cleared the sailor, chief petty officer Edward Gallagher, of any judicial punishment in the war crimes case.
Military leaders opposed that action as well as Mr Trump’s pardons of two soldiers involved in other murder cases.
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Sharing the full story, not just the headlines
Navy officials had planned to begin the process of taking away Gallagher’s Trident pin, the symbol of his membership in the Seals, earlier this month.
But as he waited outside his commander’s office, Navy leaders sought clearance from the White House that never came, and no action was taken.
World news in pictures
Show all 50
1/50 19 November 2019
An image taken from a plane window shows Sydney shrouded in smoke from nearby bush fires
AAP Imagevia Reuters
2/50 18 November 2019
Protesters run for cover after riot police fired tear gas towards the bridge they were climbing down to the road below, to escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dozens escaped the besieged campus by lowering themselves on a rope from a footbridge to a highway. Once on the road they were seen being picked up by waiting motorcyclists
AFP via Getty
3/50 17 November 2019
Anti-government protesters draped in Iraqi national flags walk into clouds of smoke from burning tires during a demonstration in the southern city of Basra, Iraq
AFP via Getty
4/50 16 November 2019
A protester wearing a yellow jacket waves a French flag in a fountain during a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of the “yellow vests” movement in Nice, France
5/50 15 November 2019
A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to return a tear gas canister fired by Israeli forces amid clashes following a weekly demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum
AFP via Getty
6/50 14 November 2019
A patient suffering from dengue fever receives medical treatment at an isolation ward at a hospital in Larkana, Pakistan. According to local reports, 26 deaths have been reported out of a total of 10,013 confirmed cases of dengue infection. Dengue fever is reportedly caused by a specific type of mosquito, the Aedes mosquito, that bites only during daytime, especially during sunrise and sunset.
7/50 13 November 2019
An anti-government protester flashes the V-sign for victory in front of burning tyres used to block a main road at the entrance of Tripoli. The previous night, street protests erupted across Lebanon after President Michel Aoun defended the role of his allies, the Shiite movement Hezbollah, in Lebanon’s government, cutting off several major roads. In his televised address, Aoun proposed a government that includes both technocrats and politicians
AFP via Getty
8/50 12 November 2019
An Israeli missile launching from the Iron Dome defence missile system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells. They were sent up to intercept rockets launched from the nearby Palestinian Gaza Strip. Israel’s military killed a commander for Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in a strike on his home, prompting retaliatory rocket fire and fears of a severe escalation in violence
AFP/Getty
9/50 11 November 2019
A species of deer thought to be extinct, the chevrotain, has been spotted for the first time in 30 years in the wilds of Vietnam. The deer is around the size of a domestic cat
SIE/GWC/Leibniz-IZW/NCNP /SWNS.C
10/50 10 November 2019
The royal motorcade of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, under tight security, passes through a street in Tokyo. Thousands of people gathered for the rare open-top car parade featuring the newly enthroned Emperor
Kyodo News via AP
11/50 9 November 2019
People knock over a mock-up of the former Berlin Wall during a performance prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match Hertha BSC Berlin v RB Leipzig on the 30 anniversary of the fall off the wall
AFP/Getty
12/50 8 November 2019
Flames from an out of control bushfire from a nearby residential area in Harrington, northeast of Sydney. Australian firefighters warned they were in “uncharted territory” as they struggled to contain dozens of out-of-control bushfires across the east of the country
Kelly-ann Oosterbeek/AFP/Getty
13/50 7 November 2019
Demonstrators shine lasers during a protest against Chile’s government in Santiago, the capital
14/50 6 November 2019
Activists from India’s main opposition Congress party shout slogans as they are stopped by police during a protest against what the activists say is economic slowdown in the country, in Guwahati, India
15/50 5 November 2019
Smoke rises from a fire in downtown Lagos, Nigeria. Firefighters worked hard to try and extinguish a fire at the Balogun market. Thick black smoke and flames shot from the five-story buildings as fire trucks attempted to get access
16/50 4 November 2019
Women run down a sand dune as they take part in the desert trek “Rose Trip Maroc” in the erg Chebbi near Merzouga. It is a female-oriented trek where teams of three must travel through the southern Moroccan Sahara desert with a compass, a map and a topographical reporter
AFP via Getty
17/50 3 November 2019
Riot police descend an escalator inside the City Plaza mall in Hong Kong after a bloody knife fight wounded six people there. A local pro-democracy politician had his ear bitten off during another chaotic day of political unrest in the city
AFP via Getty
18/50 2 November 2019
People participate in the celebration of the ‘muerteadas de Jalapa del Valle’, as part of the Day of the Dead in Mexico
19/50 1 November 2019
Firefighters work to control flames from a backfire during the Maria fire in Santa Paula, California
AFP via Getty
20/50 31 October 2019
Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, over the Vestrahorn mountain in the east of Iceland
21/50 30 October 2019
A model presents a creation at the show Heaven Gaia by Xiong Ying during the China Fashion Week in Beijing. The fashion event runs from 25 October to 2 November
22/50 29 October 2019
Hindu devotees collect rice as offerings on ‘Annakut’ or ‘Govardhan Puja’ festival at the Madan Mohan temple in Kolkata. People in large numbers gather at the temple to collect the rice offerings in the belief that it will keep them in good health and they’ll never face poverty or scarcity of food
AFP via Getty
23/50 28 October 2019
Authorities investigate after a Port Authority bus was caught in a sinkhole in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
24/50 27 October 2019
South Africa players celebrate after beating Wales in their Rugby World Cup semi-final match. The Springboks will face England in next Saturday’s final following fly-half Handre Pollard’s match-winning penalty four minutes from time. The match ended 19-16
25/50 26 October 2019
Participants from Thailand pose in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall as they take part in the annual gay pride parade in Taipei. Some two hundred thousand revellers marched through Taipei in a riot of rainbow colours and celebration as Taiwan held its first pride parade since making history in Asia by legalising gay marriage
AFP/Getty
26/50 25 October 2019
A girl enjoys a ball bath as she is being photographed at the made-for-Instagram museum ‘Cali Dreams’ in Dusseldorf, Germany. No artworks are shown in this museum, rather each visitor himself becomes an artwork by staging himself in front of one of the 25 sceneries. Cali Dreams is initially open for three months. After this test phase, however, the museum is planned as a long-term project
27/50 24 October 2019
A fire lorry speeds towards a rampant wildfire near Geyserville, California
AFP/Getty
28/50 23 October 2019
Protesters facing Lebanese army soldiers wave national flags in the area of Jal al-Dib in the northern outskirts of Beirut. A week of unprecedented street protests against the political class showed no signs of abating, despite the army moving to reopen key roads. Protests were sparked on October 17 by a proposed tax on WhatsApp and other messaging apps
AFP/Getty
29/50 22 October 2019
Liberal leader and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waves to supporters beside his wife Sophie after the federal election at the Palais des Congres in Montreal. He managed to hold on to power, albeit of a minority government, in one of the most divisive elections in the country’s history
30/50 21 October 2019
A convoy of US vehicles is seen after withdrawing from northern Syria, on the outskirts of Dohuk, Iraq
31/50 20 October 2019
Japan players go over to thank their fans after South Africa beat them in the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup. Makazole Mapimpi double ended the hosts’ dreams in Tokyo 3-26. The Springboks will now face Wales in the semi-finals for a place in the final
32/50 19 October 2019
Archaeologists remove the cover of an ancient painted coffin discovered at Al-Asasif Necropolis in the Vally of Kings in Luxor, Egypt
33/50 18 October 2019
A protester throws a tire on a fire to block the highway north of Beirut, Lebanon. Protesters, mainly civil activists, started demonstrating in the downtown area on 17 October, condemning proposed taxes in the 2020 budget. An unexpected addition to impose a daily fee for using WhatsApp calls caused outrage. However, according to the Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Choucair, the charge will not make it through the government palace after the impact it has made on the streets
34/50 17 October 2019
Children watch as army tanks are transported on trucks in the outskirts of the town of Akcakale, in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, at the border of Syria
35/50 16 October 2019
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un riding a white horse amongst the first snow at Mouth Paektu
KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/Getty
36/50 15 October 2019
Protesters create a burning barricade after the Supreme Court in Madrid handed lengthy prison sentences to nine of the detained Catalonian leaders for up to 13 years each
37/50 14 October 2019
Protestors light their torches during a peaceful rally in central Hong Kong’s business district. The protests that started in June over a now-shelved extradition bill have since snowballed into an anti-China campaign amid anger over what many view as Beijing’s interference in Hong Kong’s autonomy that was granted when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997
38/50 13 October 2019
Japan players celebrate victory after beating Scotland 28-21 to reach the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup for the first ever time. The hosts head coach Jamie Joseph paid tribute to those who lost their lives in Typhoon Hagibis
Getty Images
39/50 12 October 2019
Surging waves generated by typhoon Hagibis hit the seashore in Mihama, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Hagibis is the strongest storm to hit in six decades and battered the country’s main island with torrential rain and violent winds
Firefighters battle the Saddleridge fire in Sylmar, California
41/50 10 October 2019
People run to take cover after mortars fired from Syria, in Akcakale, Turkey. An Associated Press journalist said at least two government buildings were hit by the mortars in Sanliurfa province’s border town of Akcakale and at least two people were wounded
42/50 9 October 2019
Policemen climb over a wall close to the site of a shooting where at least two people were killed at multiple locations in Germany, including near a synagogue in the city of Halle
dpa/AFP/Getty
43/50 8 October 2019
This multi-exposure picture shows USA’s Simone Biles performing on the beam during the women’s team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart
AFP/Getty
44/50 7 October 2019
Extinction Rebellion activists block an intersection in Melbourne, Australia
45/50 6 October 2019
Protesters hold smoke grenades as they gather in central Kiev to demand broader autonomy for separatist territories, part of a plan to end a war with Russian-backed fighters
46/50 5 October 2019
Anti-government protesters rush to an injured man during a demonstration in Baghdad, Iraq
47/50 4 October 2019
Footage of a hugely rare polka dot zebra has been captured in Kenya. The foal was photographed in the Maasai Mara National Reserve
Abdelrahman Hassanein
48/50 3 October 2019
A devotee dressed as the Hindu deity Maha Kali performs during Navratri festival celebrations in Ajmer in Rajasthan state, India
AFP/Getty
49/50 2 October 2019
A gust of wind lifts the cassock of Pope Francis during the weekly general audience at St.Peter’s square in the Vatican
AFP/Getty
50/50 1 October 2019
Protesters clash with an Iraqi riot police vehicle during a demonstration against state corruption and poor services in Baghdad
AFP/Getty
1/50 19 November 2019
An image taken from a plane window shows Sydney shrouded in smoke from nearby bush fires
AAP Imagevia Reuters
2/50 18 November 2019
Protesters run for cover after riot police fired tear gas towards the bridge they were climbing down to the road below, to escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dozens escaped the besieged campus by lowering themselves on a rope from a footbridge to a highway. Once on the road they were seen being picked up by waiting motorcyclists
AFP via Getty
3/50 17 November 2019
Anti-government protesters draped in Iraqi national flags walk into clouds of smoke from burning tires during a demonstration in the southern city of Basra, Iraq
AFP via Getty
4/50 16 November 2019
A protester wearing a yellow jacket waves a French flag in a fountain during a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of the “yellow vests” movement in Nice, France
5/50 15 November 2019
A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to return a tear gas canister fired by Israeli forces amid clashes following a weekly demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum
AFP via Getty
6/50 14 November 2019
A patient suffering from dengue fever receives medical treatment at an isolation ward at a hospital in Larkana, Pakistan. According to local reports, 26 deaths have been reported out of a total of 10,013 confirmed cases of dengue infection. Dengue fever is reportedly caused by a specific type of mosquito, the Aedes mosquito, that bites only during daytime, especially during sunrise and sunset.
7/50 13 November 2019
An anti-government protester flashes the V-sign for victory in front of burning tyres used to block a main road at the entrance of Tripoli. The previous night, street protests erupted across Lebanon after President Michel Aoun defended the role of his allies, the Shiite movement Hezbollah, in Lebanon’s government, cutting off several major roads. In his televised address, Aoun proposed a government that includes both technocrats and politicians
AFP via Getty
8/50 12 November 2019
An Israeli missile launching from the Iron Dome defence missile system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells. They were sent up to intercept rockets launched from the nearby Palestinian Gaza Strip. Israel’s military killed a commander for Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in a strike on his home, prompting retaliatory rocket fire and fears of a severe escalation in violence
AFP/Getty
9/50 11 November 2019
A species of deer thought to be extinct, the chevrotain, has been spotted for the first time in 30 years in the wilds of Vietnam. The deer is around the size of a domestic cat
SIE/GWC/Leibniz-IZW/NCNP /SWNS.C
10/50 10 November 2019
The royal motorcade of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, under tight security, passes through a street in Tokyo. Thousands of people gathered for the rare open-top car parade featuring the newly enthroned Emperor
Kyodo News via AP
11/50 9 November 2019
People knock over a mock-up of the former Berlin Wall during a performance prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match Hertha BSC Berlin v RB Leipzig on the 30 anniversary of the fall off the wall
AFP/Getty
12/50 8 November 2019
Flames from an out of control bushfire from a nearby residential area in Harrington, northeast of Sydney. Australian firefighters warned they were in “uncharted territory” as they struggled to contain dozens of out-of-control bushfires across the east of the country
Kelly-ann Oosterbeek/AFP/Getty
13/50 7 November 2019
Demonstrators shine lasers during a protest against Chile’s government in Santiago, the capital
14/50 6 November 2019
Activists from India’s main opposition Congress party shout slogans as they are stopped by police during a protest against what the activists say is economic slowdown in the country, in Guwahati, India
15/50 5 November 2019
Smoke rises from a fire in downtown Lagos, Nigeria. Firefighters worked hard to try and extinguish a fire at the Balogun market. Thick black smoke and flames shot from the five-story buildings as fire trucks attempted to get access
16/50 4 November 2019
Women run down a sand dune as they take part in the desert trek “Rose Trip Maroc” in the erg Chebbi near Merzouga. It is a female-oriented trek where teams of three must travel through the southern Moroccan Sahara desert with a compass, a map and a topographical reporter
AFP via Getty
17/50 3 November 2019
Riot police descend an escalator inside the City Plaza mall in Hong Kong after a bloody knife fight wounded six people there. A local pro-democracy politician had his ear bitten off during another chaotic day of political unrest in the city
AFP via Getty
18/50 2 November 2019
People participate in the celebration of the ‘muerteadas de Jalapa del Valle’, as part of the Day of the Dead in Mexico
19/50 1 November 2019
Firefighters work to control flames from a backfire during the Maria fire in Santa Paula, California
AFP via Getty
20/50 31 October 2019
Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, over the Vestrahorn mountain in the east of Iceland
21/50 30 October 2019
A model presents a creation at the show Heaven Gaia by Xiong Ying during the China Fashion Week in Beijing. The fashion event runs from 25 October to 2 November
22/50 29 October 2019
Hindu devotees collect rice as offerings on ‘Annakut’ or ‘Govardhan Puja’ festival at the Madan Mohan temple in Kolkata. People in large numbers gather at the temple to collect the rice offerings in the belief that it will keep them in good health and they’ll never face poverty or scarcity of food
AFP via Getty
23/50 28 October 2019
Authorities investigate after a Port Authority bus was caught in a sinkhole in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
24/50 27 October 2019
South Africa players celebrate after beating Wales in their Rugby World Cup semi-final match. The Springboks will face England in next Saturday’s final following fly-half Handre Pollard’s match-winning penalty four minutes from time. The match ended 19-16
25/50 26 October 2019
Participants from Thailand pose in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall as they take part in the annual gay pride parade in Taipei. Some two hundred thousand revellers marched through Taipei in a riot of rainbow colours and celebration as Taiwan held its first pride parade since making history in Asia by legalising gay marriage
AFP/Getty
26/50 25 October 2019
A girl enjoys a ball bath as she is being photographed at the made-for-Instagram museum ‘Cali Dreams’ in Dusseldorf, Germany. No artworks are shown in this museum, rather each visitor himself becomes an artwork by staging himself in front of one of the 25 sceneries. Cali Dreams is initially open for three months. After this test phase, however, the museum is planned as a long-term project
27/50 24 October 2019
A fire lorry speeds towards a rampant wildfire near Geyserville, California
AFP/Getty
28/50 23 October 2019
Protesters facing Lebanese army soldiers wave national flags in the area of Jal al-Dib in the northern outskirts of Beirut. A week of unprecedented street protests against the political class showed no signs of abating, despite the army moving to reopen key roads. Protests were sparked on October 17 by a proposed tax on WhatsApp and other messaging apps
AFP/Getty
29/50 22 October 2019
Liberal leader and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waves to supporters beside his wife Sophie after the federal election at the Palais des Congres in Montreal. He managed to hold on to power, albeit of a minority government, in one of the most divisive elections in the country’s history
30/50 21 October 2019
A convoy of US vehicles is seen after withdrawing from northern Syria, on the outskirts of Dohuk, Iraq
31/50 20 October 2019
Japan players go over to thank their fans after South Africa beat them in the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup. Makazole Mapimpi double ended the hosts’ dreams in Tokyo 3-26. The Springboks will now face Wales in the semi-finals for a place in the final
32/50 19 October 2019
Archaeologists remove the cover of an ancient painted coffin discovered at Al-Asasif Necropolis in the Vally of Kings in Luxor, Egypt
33/50 18 October 2019
A protester throws a tire on a fire to block the highway north of Beirut, Lebanon. Protesters, mainly civil activists, started demonstrating in the downtown area on 17 October, condemning proposed taxes in the 2020 budget. An unexpected addition to impose a daily fee for using WhatsApp calls caused outrage. However, according to the Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Choucair, the charge will not make it through the government palace after the impact it has made on the streets
34/50 17 October 2019
Children watch as army tanks are transported on trucks in the outskirts of the town of Akcakale, in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, at the border of Syria
35/50 16 October 2019
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un riding a white horse amongst the first snow at Mouth Paektu
KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/Getty
36/50 15 October 2019
Protesters create a burning barricade after the Supreme Court in Madrid handed lengthy prison sentences to nine of the detained Catalonian leaders for up to 13 years each
37/50 14 October 2019
Protestors light their torches during a peaceful rally in central Hong Kong’s business district. The protests that started in June over a now-shelved extradition bill have since snowballed into an anti-China campaign amid anger over what many view as Beijing’s interference in Hong Kong’s autonomy that was granted when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997
38/50 13 October 2019
Japan players celebrate victory after beating Scotland 28-21 to reach the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup for the first ever time. The hosts head coach Jamie Joseph paid tribute to those who lost their lives in Typhoon Hagibis
Getty Images
39/50 12 October 2019
Surging waves generated by typhoon Hagibis hit the seashore in Mihama, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Hagibis is the strongest storm to hit in six decades and battered the country’s main island with torrential rain and violent winds
Firefighters battle the Saddleridge fire in Sylmar, California
41/50 10 October 2019
People run to take cover after mortars fired from Syria, in Akcakale, Turkey. An Associated Press journalist said at least two government buildings were hit by the mortars in Sanliurfa province’s border town of Akcakale and at least two people were wounded
42/50 9 October 2019
Policemen climb over a wall close to the site of a shooting where at least two people were killed at multiple locations in Germany, including near a synagogue in the city of Halle
dpa/AFP/Getty
43/50 8 October 2019
This multi-exposure picture shows USA’s Simone Biles performing on the beam during the women’s team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart
AFP/Getty
44/50 7 October 2019
Extinction Rebellion activists block an intersection in Melbourne, Australia
45/50 6 October 2019
Protesters hold smoke grenades as they gather in central Kiev to demand broader autonomy for separatist territories, part of a plan to end a war with Russian-backed fighters
46/50 5 October 2019
Anti-government protesters rush to an injured man during a demonstration in Baghdad, Iraq
47/50 4 October 2019
Footage of a hugely rare polka dot zebra has been captured in Kenya. The foal was photographed in the Maasai Mara National Reserve
Abdelrahman Hassanein
48/50 3 October 2019
A devotee dressed as the Hindu deity Maha Kali performs during Navratri festival celebrations in Ajmer in Rajasthan state, India
AFP/Getty
49/50 2 October 2019
A gust of wind lifts the cassock of Pope Francis during the weekly general audience at St.Peter’s square in the Vatican
AFP/Getty
50/50 1 October 2019
Protesters clash with an Iraqi riot police vehicle during a demonstration against state corruption and poor services in Baghdad
AFP/Getty
Mr Green now has the authorisation he needs from the Navy to act against Gallagher, and the formal letter notifying the chief of the action has been drafted by the admiral, the two officials said.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the impending action.
The Navy also plans to take the Tridents of three Seal officers who oversaw Gallagher – lieutenant commander Robert Breisch, lieutenant commander Jacob Portier and lieutenant commander MacNeil – and their letters have been drafted as well, one of the officials said.
The move sets up a potential confrontation between Mr Trump, who has repeatedly championed Gallagher, and Mr Green, who has said he intends to overhaul discipline and ethics in the Seal teams and sees Gallagher’s behaviour as an obstacle.
One Navy official who spoke about the specifics of the action said the admiral was making the move knowing that it could end his career.
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The president has the authority to stop or reverse any decision concerning the Seals’ Tridents, according to Eugene R Fidell, who teaches military justice at Yale Law School.
“The president is the commander in chief; he could give orders about how to peel the potatoes in the chow hall if he wanted,” Mr Fidell said. “The question is, should he?”
The New York Times
