US Military Accomplices to War Crimes as Trump Orders 'Killer Squads' Off Venezuela's Coast
The Republican-led Congress has been caught sleeping at the wheel as President Donald Trump unilaterally authorized the killing of suspected drug runners off the coast of Venezuela and Colombia. The Washington Post revealed a stunning detail on November 28 - that US forces had executed two survivors of an attack, both clinging to the wreckage of their destroyed boat.
This unexpected revelation has galvanized Democrats in Congress, prompting them to demand greater scrutiny of Trump's secret war on suspected drug cartels. As the investigation into this deadly series of incidents unfolds, one thing becomes increasingly clear: the US military is complicit in a wave of summary executions that have already claimed 87 lives in 22 separate attacks.
According to sources within the Pentagon, during the initial strike on September 2, nine occupants of the targeted boat were killed. However, two survivors who had clung to the wreckage were then gunned down by US forces. An investigation into this atrocity has found no evidence that the two men posed a threat to anyone.
Critics argue that the Pentagon's assertion that the survivors were trying to contact their accomplices is laughable - both men were in such a weakened state that they could barely breathe, let alone send out distress signals. Moreover, the boat was already destroyed and drifting aimlessly at sea; intercepting it would have been relatively easy.
In armed conflicts, it is a war crime to target people who are shipwrecked and unable to fight. These individuals are deemed hors de combat - outside the conflict - and should be treated with compassion rather than dispatched as enemy combatants.
Yet Trump has declared an "armed conflict" with suspected drug cartels, which raises concerns that this is nothing more than a thinly veiled pretext for executing people without due process. The US military is not in an armed conflict with these networks; despite rhetoric suggesting otherwise, the relationship between Washington and cartel leaders remains fundamentally one of law enforcement.
The use of lethal force by the US Coast Guard against boat crews is strictly regulated under international humanitarian law. This law requires that deadly force be used only as a last resort to prevent imminent death or serious harm - never as an initial response to perceived threats.
Trump's actions are not only a gross breach of human rights but also set a chilling precedent for future abuses. If the president can order anyone deemed an enemy combatant to be summarily executed, then what prevents him from targeting innocent civilians, including anti-Trump protesters or shoplifters?
The fact that Republican lawmakers have been so slow to respond underscores the extent to which Trump has exploited his executive powers to erode checks and balances on the war on terror. It is time for Congress to take a stand against this unaccountable overreach - or risk becoming complicit in its perpetuation.
As Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, aptly notes: "The stakes are more profound than ever before. There is no rule of law if the president can deem anyone an enemy combatant and order them summarily shot." The time for decisive action has arrived - or else the erosion of basic human rights will continue unabated.
The Republican-led Congress has been caught sleeping at the wheel as President Donald Trump unilaterally authorized the killing of suspected drug runners off the coast of Venezuela and Colombia. The Washington Post revealed a stunning detail on November 28 - that US forces had executed two survivors of an attack, both clinging to the wreckage of their destroyed boat.
This unexpected revelation has galvanized Democrats in Congress, prompting them to demand greater scrutiny of Trump's secret war on suspected drug cartels. As the investigation into this deadly series of incidents unfolds, one thing becomes increasingly clear: the US military is complicit in a wave of summary executions that have already claimed 87 lives in 22 separate attacks.
According to sources within the Pentagon, during the initial strike on September 2, nine occupants of the targeted boat were killed. However, two survivors who had clung to the wreckage were then gunned down by US forces. An investigation into this atrocity has found no evidence that the two men posed a threat to anyone.
Critics argue that the Pentagon's assertion that the survivors were trying to contact their accomplices is laughable - both men were in such a weakened state that they could barely breathe, let alone send out distress signals. Moreover, the boat was already destroyed and drifting aimlessly at sea; intercepting it would have been relatively easy.
In armed conflicts, it is a war crime to target people who are shipwrecked and unable to fight. These individuals are deemed hors de combat - outside the conflict - and should be treated with compassion rather than dispatched as enemy combatants.
Yet Trump has declared an "armed conflict" with suspected drug cartels, which raises concerns that this is nothing more than a thinly veiled pretext for executing people without due process. The US military is not in an armed conflict with these networks; despite rhetoric suggesting otherwise, the relationship between Washington and cartel leaders remains fundamentally one of law enforcement.
The use of lethal force by the US Coast Guard against boat crews is strictly regulated under international humanitarian law. This law requires that deadly force be used only as a last resort to prevent imminent death or serious harm - never as an initial response to perceived threats.
Trump's actions are not only a gross breach of human rights but also set a chilling precedent for future abuses. If the president can order anyone deemed an enemy combatant to be summarily executed, then what prevents him from targeting innocent civilians, including anti-Trump protesters or shoplifters?
The fact that Republican lawmakers have been so slow to respond underscores the extent to which Trump has exploited his executive powers to erode checks and balances on the war on terror. It is time for Congress to take a stand against this unaccountable overreach - or risk becoming complicit in its perpetuation.
As Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, aptly notes: "The stakes are more profound than ever before. There is no rule of law if the president can deem anyone an enemy combatant and order them summarily shot." The time for decisive action has arrived - or else the erosion of basic human rights will continue unabated.
Trump's just declared war on suspected cartels, but it sounds like he's more interested in playing cowboy than following international law. The fact that US forces executed two survivors who were literally clinging to a wrecking boat is just crazy 
I mean, what even is the criteria for being an "enemy combatant" these days? It's not like they were trying to attack anyone... and the whole thing feels like a total power grab from Trump. The Pentagon's saying the survivors were trying to contact their accomplices, but that sounds like a pretty weak excuse 
these 2 guys were basically begging for help and still got shot by the us military - what kind of monsters do that? 
and now congress is just sitting on their hands? 
it's time for them to step up and stop trump from doing whatever he wants with our tax dollars... meanwhile, innocent people are getting killed and no one seems to care 
And to think Congress is just sitting around while this happens... what's next? Taking out random protesters or shoplifters? 
