Deadline: White House “Perfidy”
Jan 13, 2026
Lieutenant General Mark Hurling, a retired U.S. Army leader, talks about the ethical implications of masking military aircraft as civilian ones, highlighting how it undermines morale and legal standards. Margaret Donovan, a former Army JAG officer, distinguishes between permissible deception in warfare and the condemned act of perfidy. They also discuss the alarming situation in Iran, examining the brutal anti-government protests and the critical choices the U.S. faces in its response to support the protesters.
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Disguised Aircraft Raises Perfidy Alarm
- The New York Times reported the Pentagon used an aircraft painted like a civilian plane to strike a boat, raising legal and ethical alarms.
- Disguising military assets as civilian violates prohibitions against perfidy and corrodes wartime moral norms.
Transponder Signal Doesn't Legalize Deceit
- Law of war experts said transmitting a military transponder does not cure visual deception since targets likely cannot detect it.
- That technicality fails to justify using civilian appearance to conceal lethal intent.
Deceit Damages Military Morality
- Lieutenant General Mark Hurling warned true deceit in warfare undermines commanders' moral authority and damages soldiers' well-being.
- He compared such tactics to past abuses like waterboarding that eroded ethical standards and harmed personnel.
