Former US defense heads call for smooth transition of power
January 4, 2021
All living former US defense secretaries called for a peaceful transfer of power on January 20 and warned against the involvement of the military in election disputes.
In an opinion article in The Washington Post, a US daily, the secretaries said that the "time for questioning the results has passed", referring to current US President Donald Trump's refusal to accept defeat following the win of Joe Biden in the November elections.
The group included Mark Esper, who was fired from the Trump administration, and Dick Cheney, who was also the vice president in the George W. Bush administration.
Military shouldn't determine outcome of the election
"Our elections have occurred. Recounts and audits have been conducted. Appropriate challenges have been addressed by the courts. Governors have certified the results. And the electoral college has voted," said the former defense secretaries.
They said that the US military shouldn't have a role in determining the outcome of the US election and called on acting defense secretary Christopher C. Miller to facilitate the transition to power of the incoming administration.
The opinion piece follows a statement from President-elect Joe Biden in December that some Pentagon officials were not cooperating in providing essential information needed for a smooth transition. At the time, Miller had denied any problem.
am/aw (Reuters, AFP)