US Airstrike Survivors Left to Cling to Boat Wreckage for Hour Before Second Deadly Attack, Video Reveals
A harrowing video has emerged showing two men who survived a US airstrike on a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean clinging to the wreckage for an hour before being killed in a second deadly attack. The footage, which was seen by senators in Washington, shows the survivors' desperate attempts to flip a severed section of the hull upright as they struggled to stay alive.
The men were shirtless and unarmed, with no visible radio or communications equipment, and appeared to have no idea what had just hit them or that their lives were being weighed. Despite their efforts, they were unable to turn the boat back over and eventually succumbed to their injuries.
The attack on September 2 was part of a US military campaign aimed at targeting suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The strike has killed at least 87 people, with the Pentagon claiming that the vessels targeted were carrying illicit narcotics and transiting along known narco-trafficking routes.
However, lawmakers are questioning the legality of the strikes, with many arguing that the US military's actions constitute a war crime. The video shows that the survivors were not engaged in any hostile activities, but rather were attempting to survive after their vessel was severely damaged.
"This is one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service," said Democratic Congressman Jim Himes, who witnessed the footage. "You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel."
The Trump administration has argued that the strikes are legal under the rules of war, but most legal experts reject this rationale. The US Department of Defense's Law of War manual prohibits attacks on combatants who are incapacitated or shipwrecked, as long as they abstain from hostilities and do not attempt to escape.
As the debate over the legality of the strikes continues, concerns are growing about the transparency and accountability of the US military operations in the region. "What's the next step?" asked Marcus Stanley, director of studies at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. "There's somebody committing a street crime, or you claim they're committing a street crime in a United States city, and then you can unleash the military on them without judicial evidence."
A harrowing video has emerged showing two men who survived a US airstrike on a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean clinging to the wreckage for an hour before being killed in a second deadly attack. The footage, which was seen by senators in Washington, shows the survivors' desperate attempts to flip a severed section of the hull upright as they struggled to stay alive.
The men were shirtless and unarmed, with no visible radio or communications equipment, and appeared to have no idea what had just hit them or that their lives were being weighed. Despite their efforts, they were unable to turn the boat back over and eventually succumbed to their injuries.
The attack on September 2 was part of a US military campaign aimed at targeting suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The strike has killed at least 87 people, with the Pentagon claiming that the vessels targeted were carrying illicit narcotics and transiting along known narco-trafficking routes.
However, lawmakers are questioning the legality of the strikes, with many arguing that the US military's actions constitute a war crime. The video shows that the survivors were not engaged in any hostile activities, but rather were attempting to survive after their vessel was severely damaged.
"This is one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service," said Democratic Congressman Jim Himes, who witnessed the footage. "You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel."
The Trump administration has argued that the strikes are legal under the rules of war, but most legal experts reject this rationale. The US Department of Defense's Law of War manual prohibits attacks on combatants who are incapacitated or shipwrecked, as long as they abstain from hostilities and do not attempt to escape.
As the debate over the legality of the strikes continues, concerns are growing about the transparency and accountability of the US military operations in the region. "What's the next step?" asked Marcus Stanley, director of studies at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. "There's somebody committing a street crime, or you claim they're committing a street crime in a United States city, and then you can unleash the military on them without judicial evidence."
This is so sad 
... Those two guys just wanted to survive and make it back home but US airstrike came out of nowhere & killed them 
. Can't believe they were just shirtless & unarmed, no idea what was happening or how to get help... They just clung to the wreckage for an hour before that 2nd attack 
. It's not right! 
. And can we please talk about how transparent the whole operation was? I mean, just a video showing two dudes in distress and suddenly it's all over the news 
. What's going on with the Trump admin's "rules of war" claim? That sounds like a bunch of hooey to me 
.
, the fact that these two men were left to cling to the boat wreckage for an hour before being killed in a second deadly attack is just barbaric. The US military's actions are being scrutinized by lawmakers and most experts agree that the strikes are a war crime. I mean, what kind of situation allows you to be left stranded in the middle of the ocean with no means of escape? It's not exactly a high-pressure situation for them to be trying to survive.
, it raises questions about what else the US military has been doing without proper oversight. Shouldn't we be demanding more from our leaders when it comes to protecting human lives? I'm not sure if there's any justification for this kind of action, other than maybe some twisted notion of 'tough love' or 'maintaining order'.
The fact that they were shirtless & unarmed just adds to the whole "no distinction between combatants & civilians" vibe. I don't think anyone can argue with the fact that these guys didn't do anything wrong, yet they're still getting killed. This is some messed up stuff right here... 
It's like, these two guys are just trying to survive after their boat gets bombed, no? They're not even fighting back, they're just trying to stay alive. And then this second attack hits them... it's like, what is the point of that? 
these guys were just trying to survive after their boat got hit & now they got killed again 
This whole thing is really scary and I'm not sure what's next.
. The Pentagon says it's all about targeting narco-traffickers, but I'm not buying it. Can't we just talk to them and work out a deal instead of blowing things up? 
The more I think about it, the more questions I have 
This is getting out of hand.
. how can u even call that legal? they're just tryna cling to somethin and not cause any trouble but it's all just a mess now. Pentagon says it's about narco-trafficking but I'm sure there's more 2 it than that... 
but then they get killed again 
... no idea what they did wrong, but it's clear they didn't deserve this 
... just watching two guys try to survive after their boat gets bombed and then getting killed again 
shouldn't they be held accountable for their actions, not just for killing people but also for doing it without any clear reason or justification? 