'Answer The Question, Admiral!': Jason Crow Doesn't Let Up On CENTCOM's Adm. Cooper Over Laws Of War

[0:00] thank you chairman um admiral cooper i'd like to start with you uh does the word declare [0:06] mean to make a statement openly or formally that's what the dictionary says it says would [0:13] you would you stipulate to that uh declare sir i i think to make a statement openly and publicly [0:21] formally yes yes okay great are you familiar with the dod law of war manual i am sir you've studied [0:28] it throughout your decades in service i have sir um and does the law of war manual prohibit [0:34] certain actions of course it it defines legal does pretty basic question yes does it also prohibit [0:42] saying certain things i'd have to dig into the details but there are certain i'm certain that it [0:48] does but uh okay yeah i i take that for the record i will okay so how about this section 5.4.7 are you [0:56] familiar with that section probably not off the top of your head not off the top of my head i'll read it [0:59] for you sorry uh it says the title of it is this prohibition against declaring that no quarter being [1:08] be given so it says you can't say something right yes that's uh i i will go go with this uh line pretty [1:21] basic yes sir okay let me read it it is forbidden to declare that no quarter will be given this means [1:30] that it is prohibited to order that legitimate offers of surrender will be refused or that detainees such as [1:36] unprivileged belligerents will be summarily executed moreover moreover it is also prohibited to conduct [1:43] hostilities on the basis that there will there shall be no survivors or to threaten the adversary [1:49] with the denial of quarter this rule is based on both humanitarian and military considerations [1:56] this rule also applies during non-international armed conflict does that make sense to you it's it's [2:03] clear from a from a u.s military perspective we follow the law of armed that's right and so you [2:08] would follow this section too the u.s military follows the law correct so you would you would [2:13] never utter you would never declare a state openly and publicly that no quarter being given because [2:19] our own law of war manual prohibits prohibits it does it not i i have never made a declaration you [2:25] haven't oh no does the does the law of war manual prohibit it i'll take that for the record uh but i just [2:32] read it described i just read it to you yes sir you're a combatant commander you're one of our [2:37] most senior military officers with tens of thousands of service members under your command [2:42] does the law of war manual state that it is prohibited to utter to declare that no quarter be given [2:52] it prohibits a large number of things no no i've asked i will follow i just read the provision to you [2:58] i just literally read the provision to you does it prohibit you or anyone else from declaring that [3:05] no quarter be given i just read it to you we will follow everything that's in the law answer the [3:10] question admiral cooper you have tens of thousands of service members under your command and they [3:14] literally just read a provision with all the law of war manual our own manual will you not just say [3:20] what i just read to you i will say that we will follow the law of armed conflict to the t this is [3:26] this is this is just unbelievable to me i find the same thing sir this is just unbelievable to me [3:31] follow the law of armed conflict you have very calmly you have tens of thousands of service members under [3:37] your command i literally verbatim just read a provision from our own law of war manual and you [3:44] will refuse to say what that provision says will you will you agree that it is prohibited under our own [3:52] manual that you and all the people under your command are obligated to follow to declare that no quarter [3:58] be given i will i will agree consistent with my constitutional responsibility to follow the law of armed [4:04] conflict to the t and i expect everyone working for me to do that this is not this is not leadership [4:09] this is not leadership to not be able to say something as basic the people the men and women [4:16] who we represent who are under your command deserve leadership mr chairman mr chairman i object this [4:22] is a personal attack this is unfair uh and appreciate that very much as a navy dad well within the purview [4:30] please well within the purview of my question if i may gentleman's time he's i reclaim my time [4:35] can i reclaim some additional time i'm going to give you some extra time go ahead it's our job to make [4:41] sure the law is being followed that is literally the obligation of this congress i i read to you a [4:46] provision of our own law of war manual and all i want you to say is what the provision says that it [4:52] is prohibited it is prohibited this is the title this is what the title says to declare that no quarter [4:58] be given i will follow the law to dt and expect everyone to do the same this is extremely disappointing [5:04] our service members deserve far better than this i yield back