US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth under fire for alleged double-tap strike on survivors of initial boat attack in the Caribbean. The incident, first reported by The Intercept in September, has raised concerns about accountability and liability.
According to sources, Hegseth's actions could result in the entire chain of command being investigated for a war crime or outright murder. A former Staff Judge Advocate, Todd Huntley, stated that those directly involved in the strike could be charged with murder under military law or federal statute.
The Pentagon's Law of War Manual is clear on attacking defenseless people, stating that persons who have been rendered unconscious or incapacitated by wounds, sickness, or shipwreck are "hors de combat" and should not be attacked. The manual also holds that making someone the object of attack while they are in a helpless state would be dishonorable and inhumane.
The Trump administration has defended the attacks as part of a legitimate counter-narcotics operation, but lawmakers from both parties have condemned the strikes as illegal extrajudicial killings. Senator Tim Kaine described the situation as "clearly a war crime."
A government source revealed that Hegseth's orders resulted in "murderers" being promoted up and down the chain of command. The Former JAGs Working Group, an organization made up of former and retired military judge advocates, condemned Hegseth's reported kill-everybody order as a clear case of war crimes.
The US Department of Justice has provided legal cover for the lethal strikes under Trump's Article II constitutional authority, but critics argue that this does not justify targeting civilians. The incident highlights concerns about accountability in the executive branch and the need for robust oversight to prevent further abuses of power.
According to sources, Hegseth's actions could result in the entire chain of command being investigated for a war crime or outright murder. A former Staff Judge Advocate, Todd Huntley, stated that those directly involved in the strike could be charged with murder under military law or federal statute.
The Pentagon's Law of War Manual is clear on attacking defenseless people, stating that persons who have been rendered unconscious or incapacitated by wounds, sickness, or shipwreck are "hors de combat" and should not be attacked. The manual also holds that making someone the object of attack while they are in a helpless state would be dishonorable and inhumane.
The Trump administration has defended the attacks as part of a legitimate counter-narcotics operation, but lawmakers from both parties have condemned the strikes as illegal extrajudicial killings. Senator Tim Kaine described the situation as "clearly a war crime."
A government source revealed that Hegseth's orders resulted in "murderers" being promoted up and down the chain of command. The Former JAGs Working Group, an organization made up of former and retired military judge advocates, condemned Hegseth's reported kill-everybody order as a clear case of war crimes.
The US Department of Justice has provided legal cover for the lethal strikes under Trump's Article II constitutional authority, but critics argue that this does not justify targeting civilians. The incident highlights concerns about accountability in the executive branch and the need for robust oversight to prevent further abuses of power.
like how can someone get away with ordering a double-tap on people who are already hurt 
i feel so bad for them and their families... i think we gotta ask ourselves why we need to have laws in place that prevent attacks on defenseless ppl? shouldn't we be prioritizing human life over some counter-narcotics op? 
I'm literally shocked by what's going on here... like, how can people be so reckless with human lives? 
I get that they're trying to take down some bad guys, but targeting survivors of an attack? 
That's just insane. The fact that it was allegedly ordered by the SecDef himself is even more disturbing. 
Like, what's going through his head? Did he not read the manual? 
Apparently, he did, because it explicitly says you can't attack people who are incapacitated. 
But hey, I guess that rule doesn't apply to him or something? 
. If there were survivors after the initial attack and then they got hit again, it's a huge red flag. It makes me think that maybe some people were being used as human shields or something? The Pentagon's manual is pretty clear on this stuff, but I guess if you're in a position of power, you can just ignore the rules.
also is it true that if someone gets promoted because of stuff like this it's kinda weird? 
can't just keep going around giving orders to kill people without any consequences... I don't know, man. 
this is insane 
i'm glad someone's finally speaking out about this, but it's too little, too late 
the US government needs to take responsibility for its actions and make sure those responsible get held accountable 
not just some empty promises from politicians 
. And now people are saying it could lead to investigations for war crimes or even murder charges? That's some serious stuff 
.
. This whole thing is a major red flag for me #AccountabilityMatters 
if he gave a "double-tap" order that basically said kill anyone who survived the initial attack then that's straight up murder imo. and now we're finding out that ppl who were involved in the strike could be charged with war crimes or murder... it's like, accountability should always come first right? 
and i'm still confused how the trump admin is defending this as part of a legit counter-narcotics op when it sounds super shady to me. senator tim kaine is right on this one tho - it's clearly a war crime 
. I mean, who orders a strike that kills survivors of an initial attack? 
The Pentagon's Law of War Manual is clear on this stuff, and yet... 
. Like, no way, dude! 
.
. And the fact that some people are actually being promoted for their role in these strikes? 
That's just gross 
and also super inhumane. i mean i get it, counter-narcotics op, but come on! there gotta be better ways to do that without slaughtering innocent ppl 
this whole situation needs some serious scrutiny and consequences ASAP 
. We need to know who was involved and what really went down. This is a huge red flag for accountability in the executive branch 
.
. The fact that there's even a possibility that the chain of command could be investigated for war crimes is insane 
. And the fact that some people are defending this as part of a counter-narcotics operation is just ridiculous 
. It's all about being responsible and respectful of human life 
.
. But this is a whole different level, we're talking about innocent people who got caught in the crossfire.