An Army intelligence officer, Major Harrison Mann, recently made headlines after resigning from his position at the Defense Intelligence Agency in protest over what he perceived as 'nearly unqualified' US support for Israel. Mann's resignation letter, posted on LinkedIn, cited US policies that he believed have contributed to the suffering of innocent Palestinians.
Having served in the Army for 13 years and with a background that includes training at the Army’s Special Warfare Center and School as well as Harvard’s Kennedy School, Mann had been working as a Middle East analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency since August 2021.
In his resignation letter, Mann expressed his concerns about the impact of US policies on the Palestinian population, stating, 'At some point — whatever the justification — you’re either advancing a policy that enables the mass starvation of children, or you’re not.'
Mann submitted his resignation on November 1, shortly after a Hamas terror attack in October and the subsequent Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip. While Mann confirmed his authorship of the post when contacted by The New York Times, he declined to provide further comments.
A spokesperson from the Defense Intelligence Agency acknowledged Mann's resignation, noting that such resignations are a routine occurrence within the agency and are driven by various reasons and motivations.
During his military service, Mann had been deployed to countries such as Tunisia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and South Korea. He formally requested an unqualified resignation on November 29, 2023, which was approved on January 8, 2024, with an effective discharge date of June 3, 2024.
While Mann's decision to resign has sparked discussions about US foreign policy and its implications, it also sheds light on the complexities faced by military personnel when their personal beliefs clash with official positions.
