Top US General defends his secret calls to assure China amid worry that Trump had ‘gone rogue’

<p>
Top US General Mark Milley has defended himself after a book by famous Washington Post journalists reported he had made "secret" phone calls to assure China’s top General that the US would not launch a nuclear strike amid worry that then President Donald Trump had “gone rogue.”  </p>
<p>
The calls last October and January were to reassure the Chinese military, Gen Milley said on Wednesday.</p>
<p>
Mr Trump accused Gen Milley of "treason" and described the claims as "fake news" in a statement.</p>
<p>
Senior Republican Senator Marco Rubio has also called for Mr Biden to fire the general.</p>
<p>
<strong>Also read: </strong> <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/videos-news/us-troop-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-isi-taliban-afghanistan-us-afghanistan-taliban-82015.html">US Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan | ISI, Taliban Afghanistan | US Afghanistan Taliban</a></p>
<p>
However, President Joe Biden said he has "great confidence" in General  Milley.</p>
<p>
On Wednesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: "The president has complete confidence in his leadership, his patriotism and his fidelity to our Constitution."</p>
<p>
She added that Mr Biden has complete confidence in Gen Milley continuing to serve in his role.</p>
<p>
Gen Milley's spokesman said that the calls were in keeping with his "duties and responsibilities conveying reassurance in order to maintain strategic stability".</p>
<p>
The phone calls to Chinese General Li Zuocheng were revealed on Tuesday by CNN in excerpts from a new book titled ‘Peril’ written by  Washington Post veteran journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. They were made just after the presidential election and after Mr Trump refused to accept his defeat.</p>
<p>
General Milley, deeply shaken by the Capitol Hil assault on Jan 6, 'was certain that Trump had gone into a serious mental decline in the aftermath of the election.</p>
<p>
Milley was worried that Trump could 'go rogue,' the authors write.</p>
<p>
In response, Milley took extraordinary action, and called a secret meeting in his Pentagon office on January 8 to review the process for military action, including launching nuclear weapons. Speaking to senior military officials in charge of the National Military Command Center, the Pentagon's war room, Milley instructed them not to take orders from anyone unless he was involved.</p>
<p>
CNN has reported excerpts from the book which is to be released on September 21. General Milley allegedly told the Chinese general that the "American government is stable" and reassured Gen Li that the US would not attack. If they did so, the Chinese would be warned first, the extract quotes him as saying.</p>
<p>
The book also said that Gen Milley had told his staff that if Mr Trump ordered a nuclear strike, then he would have to confirm it before it was carried out.</p>