A disturbing video has emerged of US military personnel killing survivors of a supposed drug boat attack in the Caribbean Sea. According to lawmakers, the footage shows helpless people clinging to the wreckage before being killed by American forces.
The unedited video, which was previously unseen by lawmakers, contradicts President Donald Trump's earlier statement that intercepted communications between the survivors and their colleagues showed they were combatants rather than defenseless civilians.
Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), a top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, described the footage as "one of the most troubling scenes I've ever seen in my time in public service". He added: "Any American who sees this video will see the United States military attacking shipwrecked sailors — bad guys, but attacking shipwrecked sailors."
The Pentagon has argued that it is at war with undisclosed drug cartels and gangs, but lawmakers are questioning the legitimacy of these claims. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said: "This briefing confirmed my worst fears about the nature of the Trump Administration's military activities."
Law experts have warned against undue focus on the double-tap strike, emphasizing that it is just one part of a broader pattern of attacks that are tantamount to murder. Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer, said: "Oversight needs to be broader than this one incident... We need to know how this policy was formulated in the first instance."
The Pentagon's Law of War Manual clearly states that attacking defenseless people is a war crime. The US military has carried out 21 known attacks, destroying 22 boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September, killing at least 83 civilians.
As concerns grow about the legitimacy of these claims, lawmakers are urging for greater transparency and accountability from the Trump administration. The Intercept has reported that court orders are being ignored, and MAGA loyalists have been put in charge of the military and federal law enforcement agencies.
The video has sparked widespread outrage among lawmakers and experts, who are demanding answers about the Trump administration's actions.
The unedited video, which was previously unseen by lawmakers, contradicts President Donald Trump's earlier statement that intercepted communications between the survivors and their colleagues showed they were combatants rather than defenseless civilians.
Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), a top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, described the footage as "one of the most troubling scenes I've ever seen in my time in public service". He added: "Any American who sees this video will see the United States military attacking shipwrecked sailors — bad guys, but attacking shipwrecked sailors."
The Pentagon has argued that it is at war with undisclosed drug cartels and gangs, but lawmakers are questioning the legitimacy of these claims. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said: "This briefing confirmed my worst fears about the nature of the Trump Administration's military activities."
Law experts have warned against undue focus on the double-tap strike, emphasizing that it is just one part of a broader pattern of attacks that are tantamount to murder. Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer, said: "Oversight needs to be broader than this one incident... We need to know how this policy was formulated in the first instance."
The Pentagon's Law of War Manual clearly states that attacking defenseless people is a war crime. The US military has carried out 21 known attacks, destroying 22 boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September, killing at least 83 civilians.
As concerns grow about the legitimacy of these claims, lawmakers are urging for greater transparency and accountability from the Trump administration. The Intercept has reported that court orders are being ignored, and MAGA loyalists have been put in charge of the military and federal law enforcement agencies.
The video has sparked widespread outrage among lawmakers and experts, who are demanding answers about the Trump administration's actions.
. I mean what kind of operation are we talking about here? Kill innocent people who were already in a life or death situation? This is not even some crazy ISIS type op, these are just normal dudes trying to survive after their boat got busted 
. And now they're getting killed by the very ppl supposed to be saving them? 
It's like something out of a bad action movie, but in real life...this is not entertainment, this is our tax dollars at work 
. We need to get to the bottom of this and make sure that these types of ops are being executed with transparency and accountability 
. Can't believe we even have to be having this conversation 
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, this is just another example of how out of control things have gotten with the military under Trump. I mean, who needs a briefing to figure out that shooting survivors of a boat attack is wrong? It's not exactly rocket science... Like, come on guys, can't we trust our military leaders to make some basic human decisions without needing to be spoon-fed the concept of "war crimes"? This whole double-tap strike thing just reeks of convenient cover-ups and poor leadership. And don't even get me started on how MAGA loyalists are running things now... it's like a recipe for disaster 
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this is a super worrying situation... i mean, trump said those survivors were combatants but now it looks like they were just civilians in distress. i'm not buying the "at war with drug cartels" excuse either - that sounds like just an easy way to justify attacking people who are basically at sea with no other choice. 21 attacks and over 80 civilian deaths? that's insane. law experts are right, this isn't about one incident, it's a pattern of questionable behavior that needs to be looked into. we need transparency and accountability from the trump admin ASAP! 
like what is going on with our military ?? apparently they're just killing innocent ppl 
and then trying to cover it up 
can't believe the Pentagon is saying that its all part of the war against drug cartels 
newsflash: thats not how wars work 
we need to know more about what's really going on here 
. I mean, come on, 21 attacks, 22 boats destroyed, at least 83 civilians killed... that's not just a minor misunderstanding, that's a full-blown scandal! And now we find out the truth - American soldiers killing helpless survivors? It's like something out of a bad action movie 
. I'm starting to think our President is more interested in promoting his own agenda than keeping us safe 
. And another thing, what's with this "we're at war with undisclosed drug cartels and gangs" nonsense? How can we trust our military when they won't even tell us who we're fighting against? 
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. I mean, come on, 21 attacks already and you're still trying to spin it as some kind of war on cartels? Give me a break! 
. And don't even get me started on the fact that MAGA loyalists are running the show now - totally not a recipe for disaster 
. The Pentagon's Law of War Manual is like, super clear on this stuff... attacking defenseless people is a war crime, duh! 
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. This whole thing needs to be looked into ASAP 
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this is so sickening i cant even watch it 
the law of war manual is clear if you dont follow it its a war crime 
at least 83 civilians killed and who knows how many more? 
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. We need more transparency, for real! 
Just saw this news and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it... 
. What even is going on here? They're saying they're fighting drug cartels, but is that really an excuse for attacking defenseless civilians? 
... it's hard to believe that these guys were supposed to be combatants. What's really going on here? The Pentagon's just trying to cover its own tracks and spin this into some war on cartels thing, but I don't buy it 
. Lawmakers need to start asking tough questions and holding the Trump administration accountable for their actions 
... we can't let this kind of stuff slide. This whole double-tap strike business is just a red herring – there's more to this story than that. We need answers, not just some PR spin