A senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Jim Himes, called a video of a U.S. military strike "one of the most troubling things" he's seen, stating it showed survivors in "clear distress" before they were killed. His remarks increase pressure on officials over a September Caribbean strike that killed 11 suspected drug traffickers, which included a follow-on attack after the vessel was disabled.
Officials, including Admiral Frank Bradley and General Dan Caine, briefed lawmakers and showed the unedited video. Himes described seeing two helpless individuals with a destroyed vessel being killed, but said the briefers "did the right thing." A U.S. official stated Admiral Bradley would argue the survivors remained legitimate targets due to suspected narcotics on board.
STRIKES PART OF TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN AGAINST CARTELS
The strike is part of a campaign that has seen 20 similar attacks this year, killing over 80 people. While U.S. law equates killing non-threatening suspects with murder, the administration frames it as a war on cartels. This contradicts the Pentagon's own Law of War Manual, which forbids attacking incapacitated survivors.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, already criticized for using Signal for sensitive communications, said he didn't see the follow-on strike occur in the "fog of war" but defended Admiral Bradley's decision. Former President Trump offered general support while saying he was unaware of the second strike.
HEGSETH IN FOCUS OVER STRIKES, SIGNAL USE
A new Pentagon Inspector General report states Hegseth's Signal use risked operational security and could have harmed U.S. pilots. Democrats cite this as evidence he lacks the necessary judgment for his role, compounding scrutiny over the legal and ethical questions surrounding the lethal strikes his department oversees.
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Source: REUTERS
