Entire Chain of Command Could Be Held Liable for Killing Boat Strike Survivors, Sources Say

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth could face a mountain of charges as the entire chain of command behind a double-tap strike on two survivors of a US boat attack in September could be held accountable for war crimes and murder.

The US military has carried out 21 strikes, killing at least 83 civilians, including alleged drug-traffickers. The Trump administration justifies these actions by claiming they are taking place within a "non-international armed conflict". However, most experts argue that the strikes are extrajudicial killings that breach international law.

Hegseth's actions could expose him and anyone who authorized or carried out the double-tap strike to prosecution under US law for murder. According to former military lawyers, subordinates would likely not be able to successfully use a "following-orders defense" if they were ordered by their superiors to kill civilians.

The Pentagon's Law of War Manual states that attacking defenceless people is against the rules. This principle dates back to the 1863 "Lieber Code", which held that intentionally inflicting additional wounds on an enemy already wholly disabled, or killing such an enemy, would result in death for those responsible.

Lawmakers and military experts are now calling for investigations into the strikes, with several agreeing that the attacks were illegal. The Trump administration insists they are defensible but are facing mounting criticism over their actions.

The US government's handling of these strikes raises concerns about the erosion of checks and balances on power within the executive branch. If left unchecked, this could lead to a catastrophic breakdown in democratic governance.

The situation highlights the need for an independent press that will not shy away from confronting authoritarian leaders and challenging them on human rights abuses. Without it, democracy itself is at risk.

this whole thing is wild , i mean how can you just double tap some people and then just brush it off like they're collateral damage? it's crazy that the trump admin is trying to justify this stuff by saying its all part of some "non-international armed conflict" nonsense. come on, guys, we all know that's just a bunch of lawyer speak

and what really gets my goat is how they're trying to cover this up with investigations and whatnot. like, if you've done something wrong, own up to it! don't try to sweep it under the rug or blame it on some poor subordinate who's just following orders

anyway, i think it's time someone started holding these people accountable for their actions. we need more independent reporting and less spin from the govt

I just can't believe what's going down with these US strikes . Like, how can they claim they're in a "non-international armed conflict" when we all know that doesn't make sense? And to think they're trying to cover it up by saying those people were drug-traffickers... that's just not adding up .

It's crazy how some ex-military lawyers are saying that if you follow orders to kill civilians, you can get away with it? That doesn't seem right to me . And what really gets my goat is when they say the Pentagon's Law of War Manual says it's okay to attack defenseless people . Like, how come they're not following their own rules?

I'm seriously worried about our democracy and where this is all headed . If we don't have a press that can call out these kinds of abuses, we'll never know the truth . We need someone to hold those in power accountable, you know?

This whole thing is getting crazy! The US military's actions are like something out of a bad movie . I mean, who justifies killing civilians as part of some twisted "non-international armed conflict" narrative? It's mind-boggling that the Trump admin is trying to spin this as okay. Meanwhile, we have these poor survivors and their families left to pick up the pieces .

I'm all for holding our leaders accountable for their actions, but this is taking it too far . The whole system seems to be breaking down, and it's causing a ripple effect on our democracy . We need journalists who aren't afraid to speak truth to power and ask tough questions .

As someone who's passionate about mindfulness and self-care, I think we can all learn from this situation . How do we handle the stress of living in a world where the rules are constantly being rewritten? Do we just sit back and let our leaders push us around, or do we take action to create change ?

Anyway, I'm keeping an eye on this story and hoping that some accountability is finally brought to bear . We need it more than ever .

I'm just gonna say it... 21 strikes, 83 civilians killed? That's a whole lotta bodies! And now we're talkin' about war crimes and murder charges? It's like they think they're above the law or somethin'. I mean, come on, "non-international armed conflict" sounds like a bunch of malarkey to me. Who decides what's an armed conflict and what's not?

And what really gets my goat is that these strikes are happenin' left and right without anyone holdin' anyone accountable. It's like they're just makin' it up as they go along. I'm all for takin' down bad guys, but do we gotta kill civilians too? That's just not right.

Now I know some folks might say "but following orders" and stuff like that. But what about when those orders come from people who are more interested in coverin' their own backsides than doin' what's right? We need to make sure our leaders are answerable to someone, you know?

The US military's actions are super shady and I'm not surprised they're trying to avoid accountability . A double-tap strike? That's just cold-blooded murder . And now they're saying that because it happened during a "non-international armed conflict", they can just ignore international law? Give me a break . It's always the same with power-hungry governments - they try to justify their actions by bending or breaking the rules, and then wonder why no one holds them accountable .

And let's be real, if the situation was reversed and civilians were attacked like this, there'd be a global outcry . But because it's America doing it? Not so much . It's just disgusting that they're trying to silence critics by calling for investigations that are already being conducted . An independent press is what we need to keep these governments in check - otherwise, we'll just have a bunch of warlords running around, trampling on human rights left and right .

this whole thing just goes to show how quickly power can slip through our fingers when we don't keep an eye on it. i mean, think about it - if even the secretary of defense could be held accountable for war crimes without a fight, what does that say about the rest of us? it's not just about holding people in charge accountable, but also about keeping ourselves aware and vigilant. our system of checks and balances is there to prevent this kind of abuse from happening, so we gotta make sure we're paying attention and speaking out when something feels off

I'm really worried about what's going down in US military operations right now . These double-tap strikes are insane and the fact that people could be held accountable for war crimes is a huge step forward . The whole concept of "non-international armed conflict" doesn't hold water with most experts, it's just a thin veil to cover up some serious human rights abuses . What I find even more disturbing is how the Trump administration is trying to justify these actions and then getting attacked from all sides . It shows that they're not taking responsibility for their own wrongdoing and are instead passing it down to subordinates who might be coerced into doing something they don't want to do .

I think this situation highlights how the checks and balances in the US government are getting compromised . If the executive branch starts acting like a dictatorship, it's only a matter of time before you have a complete breakdown in democracy . We need an independent press that won't shy away from speaking truth to power . The fact that lawmakers and military experts are calling for investigations into these strikes is a major step forward . We can't just sit back and do nothing while human rights abuses get swept under the rug .

I'm thinkin', what's the point of having military leaders who prioritize followin' orders over doin' the right thing? I mean, we all know right and wrong in our hearts, but when power's involved, people tend to get caught up in that "following-orders" mentality . It's like, what if the orders were to harm innocent lives? Would we still follow 'em just 'cause?

I think this whole thing is a big wake-up call for us as a society. We gotta have accountability and checks on power, 'specially when it comes to things that affect human life. Without an independent press keepin' tabs on our leaders, we're basically at their mercy . It's like, the more powerful someone gets, the less likely they are to get called out for their wrongdoings.

It's all about balance, you know? We gotta have the courage to speak truth to power and challenge those in authority when they're doin' somethin' that don't sit right with us . Otherwise, we risk losin' our democracy and our values altogether .

I'm so worried about these US military strikes . It's like they're operating outside of any moral boundaries whatsoever. The fact that people are losing their lives unnecessarily is just heartbreaking . I think the whole chain of command needs to be held accountable for this, from Pete Hegseth all the way up to the Trump administration . We need some serious investigations and transparency about what's really going on over there . And can we talk about how these strikes are eroding our democracy? It's like they're playing with fire and not even caring about the consequences . We need to support our independent press and hold those in power accountable for their actions .

omg u gotta believe there's consequences 4 those kinda actions i mean imagine being a student in us and having to live w/ the weight of knowing ur country is doing stuff like dis without any real accountability what's even crazier is that some ppl r saying its defensible just bc it's part of a "non-international armed conflict" but like no, thats just an excuse 4 the people in power 2 cover themselves up we need 2 keep pushing 4 transparency & accountability from our leaders especially when it comes 2 human rights & war crimes

I'm so worried about our kids growing up in a world where they can be killed by drones without even being able to say "mum" . It's just not right that the US military thinks they're above international law and can just keep on striking without any consequences. I mean, what would make them think they're more special than everyone else?

And it's not like these strikes are even justified by the Trump administration - they just made up some nonsense about it being a "non-international armed conflict". Give me a break! It's clear that they were just trying to cover their own backsides.

I wish our journalists would really dig into this and hold those in power accountable for their actions. We need more truth-telling, not just spin and PR. If we don't stand up against human rights abuses, who will?

This US double-tap strike news is getting crazy! I mean, 83 civilian casualties? That's just unacceptable. The fact that they're trying to justify it as a "non-international armed conflict" is laughable - most experts agree these strikes are basically war crimes . And if the whole chain of command can get away with this, what's next? It's like the Trump administration thinks they're above the law... which, spoiler alert, they kinda are .

I'm loving how lawmakers and military experts are speaking out against this nonsense. We need more investigations, more scrutiny, and more accountability . And can we talk about the importance of an independent press? If they don't speak truth to power, who will? It's not just about human rights abuses - it's about democracy itself .

omg u gotta believe its getting crazy!! so theres this sec def guy pete hegseth and hes potentially going down 4 war crimes & murder over these strikes they did in sept. like 2 survs got hit & killed by a double-tap strike which sounds super sus 2 me

anywayz the whole thing is super complicated cuz trump said its not international armed conflict but most experts r all like "nope thats extrajudicial killings". and now hegseth could be in trouble if he was part of it. former mil lawyers say if u r ordered 2 kill civilians by ur boss, u cant just say "i followed orders" cuz that doesnt fly

the pentagon manual says ur not supposed 2 attack defenceless ppl which is kinda old but still relevant and lawmakers r calling 4 investigations now. trump admin is all like they r defensible but everyone else is all "nope". this whole thing is making me super anxious cuz if u rnt held accountable 4 human rights abuses, whats gonna stop the gov from getting all outta control?

This is getting serious! I've got some tea on the US military strikes... apparently, there's a whole chain of command that's about to get caught in the crossfire . I mean, 21 strikes and over 80 civilians killed? That's just plain crazy. And now it seems like the whole lot of them might be facing war crimes charges .

I'm no lawyer, but even basic common sense says you can't just bomb your way out of a problem . The fact that they're trying to justify these actions as part of some "non-international armed conflict" is just laughable . Most experts agree that's just code for "we don't want to follow the law".

And what really gets my goat is that there are people actually being prosecuted under US law for this stuff? That's right, folks! The Pentagon's Law of War Manual says attacking defenseless civilians is against the rules... who knew?

This whole thing raises some serious red flags . If we're not careful, it could lead to a complete breakdown in checks and balances and our democracy could be at risk . We need an independent press that's not afraid to call out authoritarian leaders for their human rights abuses . Without it, things could get very ugly

This whole thing is super messed up. I mean, who gets killed in a double-tap strike? Innocent people, that's who! The US military is supposed to protect us, not hurt us. It's like they're above the law or something. I'm all for holding people accountable, but this is just crazy. If we let the Trump admin get away with this, it sets a terrible precedent. We need a free press to keep them in check and make sure they don't get too powerful. Otherwise, who knows what will happen?

I'm getting super uneasy about this whole US military situation ... if they're really going to prosecute Pete Hegseth for murder and war crimes, it's a big deal . I mean, 21 strikes with over 80 civilian casualties? That's insane . It raises so many questions about the state of accountability within the military .

I'm all for holding people in power accountable, but this feels like a slippery slope . If we start prosecuting generals and politicians for following orders, where does it end? It's not just about Hegseth, it's about the whole chain of command .

And can we talk about the Trump admin's handling of this situation for a sec? They're basically saying these strikes are justified because they're happening in a "non-international armed conflict"... but most experts disagree . It feels like a total dodge .

I'm all for an independent press that'll hold people in power accountable, but it's not just about the media - it's also about having checks and balances within the executive branch . If we don't have those in place, democracy is indeed at risk .

This whole thing is giving me major anxiety, fam! I mean, how do you justify killing civilians, even if they're allegedly involved in something? It's just not right. And now it seems like Pete Hegseth and the Trump admin are getting away with it, which is super concerning. I think we need to hold them accountable for war crimes and murder, ASAP!

And can you believe the Pentagon's Law of War Manual is basically saying that attacking defenseless people is against the rules? Like, how did this even happen?! We need an independent press to keep our leaders in check, especially when it comes to human rights abuses. Without one, we're doomed

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this US double-tap strike stuff . I mean, I get why they're trying to justify these actions as 'non-international armed conflicts' but honestly, it just sounds like a bunch of bureaucratic BS to me . And now Pete Hegseth's in the hot seat? That's gonna be fun to watch unfold .

I'm all for holding people accountable for their actions, especially when it comes to something as serious as war crimes and murder. But can we please just get a clear explanation of what's going on here? Like, who gave the order for that double-tap strike? And why did they do it in the first place?

And what's with all these 'following-orders' defenses being thrown around? Doesn't anyone care about due process or basic human rights anymore? It just feels like a slippery slope to me. We need more independent journalism and less spin to get to the bottom of this mess .

I'm literally speechless about this US military strikes news... it's like they're above the law or something The thought of subordinates getting charged for following orders that kill civilians is a nightmare scenario I mean, if we can't trust our military leaders to make decisions that don't harm innocent people, what's next? It's crazy how some politicians think they can just justify these actions by saying it's a "non-international armed conflict"... like that magically makes it okay to kill civilians We need more investigative journalism and accountability, not less!