Former US military intel official says he resigned over Washington’s support for Israel in Gaza war
A former US military intelligence official says that his November resignation was in fact due to “moral injury” stemming from Washington’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza and the harm caused to Palestinians.
In a letter to his colleagues at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Harrison Mann, an Army major, says he kept quiet about his motives for resigning for months out of fear.
“I was afraid. Afraid of violating our professional norms. Afraid of disappointing officers I respect. Afraid you would feel betrayed. I’m sure some of you will feel that way reading this,” Mann writes in a letter shared with colleagues last month and published on his LinkedIn profile today.
WOW. Another resignation from the Biden Admin just hit, this time from a uniformed officer, U.S. Army Major Harrison Mann. Read is letter here: pic.twitter.com/4cUxB7QhoX
— Tariq Habash (@tariqhabash_) May 13, 2024
He is the first known DIA official to quit over US support to Israel.
The Defense Intelligence Agency does not respond to a request for comment.
Mann’s case differs from other US government officials, including several State Department officials, who publicly deplored US policy as they resigned rather than waiting months to explain their departure.
He says he felt shame and guilt for helping advance US policy that he said contributed to the mass killing of Palestinians.
“At some point — whatever the justification — you’re either advancing a policy that enables the mass starvation of children, or you’re not,” Mann writes.
The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 252 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.
More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed and 78,827 injured in Israel’s resulting military offensive in Gaza, according to unconfirmed figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
