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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 24 June 2017
APNewsBreak: Military heads want transgender enlistment hold

By LOLITA C. BALDOR ing transgender troops are bers in the process of tran-
Associated Press facing problems and what sitioning to their preferred
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mili- necessary changes the genders or who have
tary chiefs will seek a six- military bases might have been approved to formally
month delay before letting to make. change gender within the
transgender people enlist The chiefs of the Army, Pentagon’s personnel sys-
in their services, officials Navy, Air Force and Marine tem, according to several
said Friday. Corps discussed the mat- defense officials.
After meetings this week, ter with Deputy Defense According to several offi-
the service leaders ham- Secretary Robert Work on cials familiar with the mat-
mered out an agreement Thursday, officials said. ter, three of the four ser-
that rejected Army and Air Stephen Peters, spokesman vices wanted more time.
Force requests for a two- for Human Rights Cam- In recent weeks, Navy offi-
year wait and reflected paign, said the group is dis- cials suggested they would
broader concerns that a appointed with the delay be ready to begin enlist-
longer delay would trigger request. ment in July but asked for a
criticism on Capitol Hill, of- “Each day that passes one-year delay, largely to
ficials familiar with the talks without implementing the accommodate a request
told The Associated Press. In this June 13, 2017, file photo. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Jo- final piece of this impor- from the Marine Corps for
The new request for a de- seph Dunford listens on Capitol Hill in Washington. tant policy harms our mili- more time, officials said.
lay will go to Defense Sec- Associated Press tary readiness and restricts The Navy secretary also
retary Jim Mattis for a final the Armed Forces’ ability oversees the Marine Corps.
decision, said the officials, der troops have been able other standards, and have to recruit the best and the The Army and Air Force
who weren’t authorized to to receive medical care been stable in their identi- brightest,” said Peters, a wanted a two-year de-
discuss the internal deliber- and start formally chang- fied genders for 18 months. Marine veteran. “There are lay to further study the is-
ations publicly and spoke ing their gender identifica- The military chiefs had said thousands of transgender sue, said the officials, who
on condition of anonymity. tions in the Pentagon’s per- they needed time to study service members openly were not authorized to talk
Transgender servicemem- sonnel system. the issue and its effects on and proudly serving our na- about the internal discus-
bers have been able to But Carter also gave the the readiness of the force tion today, and as they’ve sion publicly and spoke on
serve openly in the military services until July 1 to de- before taking that step. proven time and time condition of anonymity.
since last year, when for- velop policies to allow peo- Officials said Friday that again, what matters is the Officials said there was a
mer Defense Secretary Ash ple already identifying as the chiefs believe the extra ability to get the job done broad recognition that al-
Carter ended the ban, de- transgender to newly join half-year would give the — not their gender iden- lowing transgender individ-
claring it the right thing to the military, if they meet four military services time tity.” Already, there are as uals to enlist affects each
do. Since Oct. 1, transgen- physical, medical and to gauge if currently serv- many as 250 servicemem- service differently. q

Trump labors to make Mueller-Comey tie a key talking point

attention to their relation- roles in a 2004 White House — who himself has known
ship, insinuating a personal confrontation and have both men for years — when
bond they suggest could spoken warmly of each he appointed Mueller last
disqualify Mueller from other over the years, with month to run the investiga-
credibly serving as special Comey describing Muel- tion into potential coordi-
counsel in charge of the ler as “one of the finest nation between Russia and
Russia investigation. Most people I’ve ever met.” But the Trump campaign. That
recently, in an interview they’re not known to be es- probe is also expected to
that aired Friday on “Fox pecially close friends, and explore the circumstances
& Friends,” Trump claimed legal experts say whatever of Trump’s firing of Comey
Mueller was “very, very connection they do have on May 9 and whether that
good friends with Comey, doesn’t come close to dismissal was an attempt to
which is bothersome.” meriting Mueller’s removal. obstruct the Russia probe.
The emphasis on their ties, “Jim has never been to The norms of legal eth-
besides being aimed at un- Bob’s house. Bob has never ics would generally frown
dermining Mueller’s cred- been to Jim’s house,” said upon a prosecutor who
ibility and the legitimacy of David Kelley, who suc- investigated a matter in
his investigation, could also ceeded Comey as U.S. at- which a friend or relative
In this Sept. 4, 2013, file photo, then-incoming FBI Director James be an attempt by Trump to torney in Manhattan and was a target of a crime. But
Comey talks with outgoing FBI Director Robert Mueller before make the case for an even- has known him and Muel- Comey, though a likely wit-
Comey was officially sworn in at the Justice Department in tual Mueller dismissal on ler for years. “They’ve had ness, would not be a con-
Washington. conflict of interest grounds. lunch together once and sidered a victim of a crime
By ERIC TUCKER and JAKE and outwardly affable suc- But the truth is more com- dinner together twice, in the classic sense as the
PEARSON cessor, may be poles apart plicated and not squarely once with their spouses firing in and of itself would
Associated Press stylistically but both com- on the president’s side. and again after Jim be- not be illegal, said Stephen
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rob- mand a wealth of respect Mueller and Comey, both came the FBI director so Gillers, a legal ethics schol-
ert Mueller, the somber- in the law enforcement known for their integ- that Bob could give him the ar at the New York Univer-
faced and demanding FBI and legal community. rity and self-assuredness, rundown of what to look sity law school.“Although
director who led the bu- That hasn’t stopped Presi- served closely alongside for.” All of that information Comey may well be what I
reau through the Sept. 11 dent Donald Trump and his each other in the Bush ad- would have been avail- call roadkill in the subjects
attacks, and James Com- associates from repeatedly ministration Justice Depart- able to Deputy Attorney Mueller is investigating, he’s
ey, his more approachable trying to draw unflattering ment. They played pivotal General Rod Rosenstein not the victim.q