the rules-based international order never credibly threatened US allied leaders with criminal consequences. 1/

SecDef etc are following orders. they are unconstitutional and therefore illegal orders, but US courts are I think very cautious about enforcing an obligation to disobey illegal orders, on the theory they aren’t lawyers + effective war fighting requires giving superiors the benefit of the doubt. 2/

there’s also the now unreviewable pardon power that can be promised to otherwise reluctant underlings, another gift from US v Trump. /fin