What is Department of Defense Directive 5240.01? Pentagon's Military Update
Published Oct 25, 2024
he
Pentagon has denied claims running rampant online around an updated Defense Department (DOD) document outlining how military intelligence can be shared with local and federal authorities, after numerous sources claimed the directive opened the door for the use of force against civilians ahead of the U.S. elections.
"The policies concerning the use of force by DOD addressed in [the directive] are not new, and do not authorize the DOD to use lethal force against U.S. citizens or people located inside the United States, contrary to rumors and rhetoric circulating on social media," Department of Defense spokesperson Sue Gough told
Newsweek.
"While the paragraph that's been most frequently referenced on social media is new to this directive, it does not reflect any change to DOD's policy regarding the use of lethal force by DOD personnel."
What is Directive 5240.01?
The
Pentagon updated Directive 5240.01, a document setting out how military intelligence could be used by local law enforcement and other U.S. authorities, in late September.
The Secretary of Defense can approve "assistance in responding with assets with potential for lethality, or any situation in which it is reasonably foreseeable that providing the requested assistance may involve the use of force that is likely to result in lethal force, including death or serious bodily injury," in the official wording of the document.
more
The directive "does not reflect any change to DOD's policy regarding the use of lethal force," a Department of Defense spokesperson told Newsweek.
www.newsweek.com