US Military Pushes Back on Label of 'Double Tap' in Attack that Killed Survivors of Boat Strike.
The US military has pushed back on allegations that Admiral Frank Bradley ordered a "double tap" attack when the US military conducted a second strike killing survivors of a boat attack in the Caribbean on September 2. The follow-up strike, which killed people clinging to the wreckage, is described as a "double-tap," which refers to a follow-on strike to kill rescuers or first responders.
In response to questions from The Intercept, Col. Allie Weiskopf, a Special Operations Command spokesperson said that Admiral Bradley does not see his actions on September 2 as a 'double tap'.
The US military has carried out 21 known attacks in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September, killing at least 83 civilians. The strikes are considered to be "summary executions" and are illegal under international law because they involve deliberately targeting people who do not pose an imminent threat.
The Pentagon's Law of War Manual states that "persons who have been incapacitated by wounds, sickness, or shipwreck are in a helpless state, and it would be dishonorable and inhumane to make them the object of attack." The US military has repeatedly said that its actions in the Caribbean were taken in accordance with international law.
However, experts and lawmakers say that the strikes are tantamount to murder. "Quibbling over the semantics of 'double-tap' doesn't change the reality that the strike was a summary execution of men clinging to the remains of a boat," said Sarah Harrison, who advised Pentagon policymakers on issues related to human rights and the law of war in her former role as associate general counsel at the Pentagon's Office of General Counsel, International Affairs.
The Pentagon has faced widespread criticism for its actions in the Caribbean. The Department of State has warned American citizens not to travel to the region, citing the risk of pirate attacks. The US military has also come under fire from lawmakers and human rights groups over its handling of the situation.
The US military has pushed back on allegations that Admiral Frank Bradley ordered a "double tap" attack when the US military conducted a second strike killing survivors of a boat attack in the Caribbean on September 2. The follow-up strike, which killed people clinging to the wreckage, is described as a "double-tap," which refers to a follow-on strike to kill rescuers or first responders.
In response to questions from The Intercept, Col. Allie Weiskopf, a Special Operations Command spokesperson said that Admiral Bradley does not see his actions on September 2 as a 'double tap'.
The US military has carried out 21 known attacks in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September, killing at least 83 civilians. The strikes are considered to be "summary executions" and are illegal under international law because they involve deliberately targeting people who do not pose an imminent threat.
The Pentagon's Law of War Manual states that "persons who have been incapacitated by wounds, sickness, or shipwreck are in a helpless state, and it would be dishonorable and inhumane to make them the object of attack." The US military has repeatedly said that its actions in the Caribbean were taken in accordance with international law.
However, experts and lawmakers say that the strikes are tantamount to murder. "Quibbling over the semantics of 'double-tap' doesn't change the reality that the strike was a summary execution of men clinging to the remains of a boat," said Sarah Harrison, who advised Pentagon policymakers on issues related to human rights and the law of war in her former role as associate general counsel at the Pentagon's Office of General Counsel, International Affairs.
The Pentagon has faced widespread criticism for its actions in the Caribbean. The Department of State has warned American citizens not to travel to the region, citing the risk of pirate attacks. The US military has also come under fire from lawmakers and human rights groups over its handling of the situation.
. Like, who thought it was okay to order a second strike just to kill people trying to save others? It sounds like some kind of war crime scenario and it's wild that they're quibbling over the semantics instead of taking responsibility for what happened.
21 known attacks in the Caribbean since September is a lot and it's not cool that civilians are getting caught in the crossfire.
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this is so messed up... a double tap is just a fancy way of saying they deliberately targeted survivors in distress 
it's not even about who's imminent threat, it's about basic human decency and respect for life 
and yeah, let's get real, if you call it a "double tap", we all know what that means 
just another example of the military thinking they're above the law 
. The US military's Law of War Manual is pretty clear on this stuff, so what's going on here? Is everyone just turning a blind eye? 
. A "double tap" might seem like a minor semantic quibble to some, but when you're talking about killing people who are already injured and clinging to the wreckage of their boat... it's just wrong 
. And let's be real, we all know that "summary executions" are basically a nice way of saying "murder" 
. I don't buy the whole "following international law" thing either - if it doesn't align with human rights and the law of war, then it's not worth doing 
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. Those people were just trying to survive, clinging to the wreckage... and what did we do? We went in with guns blazing, killing innocent men who didn't even stand a chance 
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