US Military Officials Show Lawmakers Video of Second Strike on Boat Survivors, Deny Kill Order
In a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill, military officials showed lawmakers a video of the second strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat that has sparked controversy and raised questions about the legality of the operation. The strike, which occurred on September 2, resulted in the deaths of two survivors who were attempting to climb back onto the boat after it was initially struck.
The military officials testified that there was no order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to kill everyone on board, contradicting a report by the Washington Post that quoted an anonymous source as saying that Hegseth had verbally ordered the strike. However, Navy Adm. Frank "Mitch" Bradley, head of Special Operations Command, told lawmakers that he had not been ordered to leave no survivors.
The video of the second attack, which has not been made public until now, was shown to lawmakers during the briefing. Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) described what he saw as "one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service." He said that the US military was attacking "shipwrecked sailors," who were "bad guys" but still deserving of humanitarian treatment.
The strike has raised concerns about the legality and morality of the operation, with some lawmakers accusing it of being a war crime. The administration has argued that the strikes are lawful because they target drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations, and that US troops are not in harm's way.
Lawmakers from both parties have vowed to investigate the incident further. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) called for the Pentagon to release the footage of the second strike, while GOP Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) said that he is "deeply concerned" about public statements made by others seeking to politicize the issue.
The incident has sparked a wider debate about the role of the US military in countering terrorism and the need for greater transparency and accountability in the use of force.
In a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill, military officials showed lawmakers a video of the second strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat that has sparked controversy and raised questions about the legality of the operation. The strike, which occurred on September 2, resulted in the deaths of two survivors who were attempting to climb back onto the boat after it was initially struck.
The military officials testified that there was no order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to kill everyone on board, contradicting a report by the Washington Post that quoted an anonymous source as saying that Hegseth had verbally ordered the strike. However, Navy Adm. Frank "Mitch" Bradley, head of Special Operations Command, told lawmakers that he had not been ordered to leave no survivors.
The video of the second attack, which has not been made public until now, was shown to lawmakers during the briefing. Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) described what he saw as "one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service." He said that the US military was attacking "shipwrecked sailors," who were "bad guys" but still deserving of humanitarian treatment.
The strike has raised concerns about the legality and morality of the operation, with some lawmakers accusing it of being a war crime. The administration has argued that the strikes are lawful because they target drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations, and that US troops are not in harm's way.
Lawmakers from both parties have vowed to investigate the incident further. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) called for the Pentagon to release the footage of the second strike, while GOP Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) said that he is "deeply concerned" about public statements made by others seeking to politicize the issue.
The incident has sparked a wider debate about the role of the US military in countering terrorism and the need for greater transparency and accountability in the use of force.
is giving me so much anxiety 
... can't believe they showed it to lawmakers, like, what's next? 
a whole briefing on Capitol Hill about some drone strikes on civilians? 
it's crazy how quickly we forget that we're talking about real people over there, not just numbers or stats. 
quick diagram of the situation:
. The fact that the US military is showing us this video of people being attacked after they've already been injured is pretty disturbing. I mean, who do we consider "bad guys" here? These survivors are literally clinging to a sinking boat and trying to survive. They're not even fighting back anymore.
It's one thing to target organized crime groups or military personnel, but shipwrecked sailors? That's just not right.
.
I'm thinking, what's the deal with this video that was just shown to lawmakers? 
Like, I get that there are different opinions on how to handle things, but come on, let's try to have a serious conversation about what happened instead of using it as a way to score points.
. I mean, they're showing us a video of people trying to climb back onto their own boat after it's already been hit, and suddenly we're talking about war crimes? It just doesn't add up, you know?
...
It just seems like they're trying to save face and not get roasted online. The part that really gets me is when Rep Jim Himes said those survivors were "bad guys" who deserved humanitarian treatment... like, come on! 
Seeing that video of the survivors being attacked again, it's like, what were they even doing at sea? 
You're trying to escape, you're not a threat anymore. I get that they were on a boat with suspected cartel members, but come on, that doesn't give anyone the right to die 
It sounds fishy to me
We need more transparency and accountability, especially when it comes to our military operations. They're trained for certain situations, but they shouldn't be making life or death decisions without proper oversight 
. We need to make sure that everyone involved is held accountable for their actions, but at the same time, let's not forget that these people are human beings who deserve dignity and respect 
.
[A graphic with a boat sinking, with a red X marked through it]
[A clip of a person looking shocked and disturbed]
[A GIF of a cartoon character with a worried expression]
Transparency and accountability are key 