US Navy secy fired

WASHINGTON: US defence secretary Mark Esper has fired Navy secretary Richard Spencer over the handling of the case of a decorated Navy SEAL accused of war crimes.

Edward Gallagher had been acquitted of murder charges in the death of a terrorist during a 2017 deployment in Iraq. But he was convicted of posing for a picture with the corpse.

He had been demoted, which was overturned by President Donald Trump, and faced ouster from the elite service.

The Pentagon said on Sunday Spencer had “privately” tried to cut a deal with the White House, to allow Gallagher to retire from service as a SEAL, with the Trident Pin and his current rank, contrary to the position he had taken on the situation publicly. He had not discussed this proposal with Esper.

Esper and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Mark A Milley came to know of Spencer’s proposal from Trump on Friday. And on Sunday Esper asked for Spencer’s resignation “after losing trust and confidence in him regarding his lack of candour over conversations with the White House” involving the handling of the Navy SEAL.

In a separate decision on Sunday, Esper allowed Gallagher to retire as a SEAL, with his pin, at the end of the month.

“I was not pleased with the way that Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s trial was handled by the Navy. He was treated very badly but, despite this, was completely exonerated on all major charges. I then restored Eddie’s rank,” Trump had tweeted.