Defence Secretary opposes Trump move on troops

Washington, June 4

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper has opposed invocation of the Insurrection Act to deploy active-duty forces to quell the ongoing civil unrest, over the death of an African-American, for now.

“The option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort and only in the most urgent and dire of situations. We are not in one of those situations now,” Esper said. This came as his predecessor Jim Mattis denounced President Donald Trump’s heavy-handed use of military force to quell protests. “Trump is the first President in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us,” he said. — Agencies