The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. August 13, 2019 General Orders "Culture" Review After SEALs Accused of Drug Abuse, Sexual Violence ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A four-star general has ordered a review of the ethics and culture of special operations units within the U.S. military. The directive comes after several recent cases involving members of SEAL teams engaging in forbidden and, in some cases, criminal acts. An entire SEAL platoon was recently sent home from Iraq after facing accusations of sexual assault and alcohol consumption. Last year, an internal investigation found that members of another SEAL team abused cocaine and other illegal drugs. And in a case that received nationwide attention, U.S. Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher was acquitted of murder last month. Gallagher was accused of multiple war crimes, including shooting two Iraqi civilians and fatally stabbing a captive teenager in the neck. General Richard Clarke has ordered the ethics review be completed by November. .