Back in early September, consistent with an initiative to destroy boats they conclude are trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean, a U.S. military missile hit a boat and then launched a second strike on the survivors. This second strike has brought charges of a war crime by Democrats and Republicans, including lawmakers on two congressional committees that oversee actions by the Pentagon. Are we to infer from this that the first strike was legal?
These attacks, which since this incident have killed more than 80 people, have all been carried out against individuals who were unable to exercise their rights to due process. What is most heartening about the uproar is that Republicans have now joined in, where in the past they were either silent or defended the attacks. We hail the comments voiced by Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, a Republican and a former chair of the Intelligence committee, who declared on “Face the Nation,” that if the second strike occurred, “that would be very serious, and I agree that that would be an illegal act.”
Early reports from The Washington Post suggested that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had given the verbal order to kill everyone aboard the boat. Subsequent reports indicated that the order came from another military commander. President Trump told reporters on Sunday that he stands by Hegseth but said he would not have wanted the second strike and then believed the secretary had denied the attack. This all cries out for an intensive investigation from the various congressional committees, though we doubt if it will do anything to halt the unwarranted killing of people who have not been arrested, interrogated, or read their legal rights.
Now, all the going back and forth begins as to who ordered the lethal strike, which, in our estimation, is essentially Trump’s, since he holds the reins on nearly every government body and decision. Even so, it’s good to see that the incident has created bipartisan concern, though that will not ameliorate or justify the killing of presumably innocent people.