In a groundbreaking move within the U.S. military intelligence agency of the Pentagon, an officer has resigned due to his country's support for Israel in its war against Gaza. Harrison Mann, a former military intelligence officer, published a message on his LinkedIn account revealing the reasons behind his resignation to his colleagues. He explained that his decision was prompted by the "moral injury" resulting from U.S. support for the Israeli war in Gaza and the harm inflicted on Palestinians. He added that fear prevented him from disclosing his reasons for several months.
In the message shared with his colleagues last month and posted on his account only yesterday, Mann elaborated on why it took him time to explain or justify his resignation: "I feared violating our professional standards, I feared the respected officials, and I feared you feeling betrayed." He acknowledged, "I am sure some of you will feel this way upon reading this."
Mann also expressed feelings of shame and guilt for having assisted in implementing his country's policies, which he stated contributed to the mass killing of Palestinians. He remarked, "At some point, whatever the justifications, you either implement a policy that leads to mass starvation of children or you do not."
However, Mann's case is different from other U.S. government officials, many of whom have previously expressed regret regarding U.S. policies towards Israel when resigning, as they did not wait months before providing reasons for their departure. Harrison Mann, a Major in the Army, is the first military intelligence official to resign in protest against the Gaza war, following the death of a U.S. Air Force member in February, who set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, while other military personnel have expressed their protests as well.
