SECRETARY OF DEFENSE Pete Hegseth is under increasing fire for a double-tap strike, first reported by The Intercept in early September, in which the U.S. military killed two survivors of the Trump administration’s initial boat strike in the Caribbean on September 2.
The Washington Post recently reported that Hegseth personally ordered the follow-up attack, giving a spoken order “to kill everybody.” Multiple military legal experts, lawmakers, and now confidential sources within the government who spoke with The Intercept say Hegseth’s actions could result in the entire chain of command being investigated for a war crime or outright murder.
“Those directly involved in the strike could be charged with murder under the UCMJ or federal law,” said Todd Huntley, a former Staff Judge Advocate who served as a legal adviser on Joint Special Operations task forces conducting drone strikes in Afghanistan and elsewhere, using shorthand for the Uniform Code of Military Justice. “This is about as clear of a case being patently illegal that subordinates would probably not be able to successfully use a following-orders defense.”
What absolute moron would obey that order?
I could see how maybe you could believe there was justification for the initial strike but there can be no justification for killing people who are now defenceless. Although why not just board the vessel and take everyone into custody, why instantly resort to deadly force, did they have information that the people on the boat were heavily armed or otherwise able to threaten a US naval vessel?
These idiots will never face consequences until the citizens get angry enough to start guillotine trials
Yeah, if any significant pushback ever happens, it’s not going to be 14 years of court cases and bullshit appeals. It’s going to be citizens’ justice.
I’m not advocating it. I’m just saying that’s how it could play out.
“Could”
More like “should but won’t”
Could be, should be, won’t be
Oh don’t worry, those down the chain will be prosecuted. Just not Hegseth.
Although that’s not totally inappropriate (although ideally he would be prosecuted too but for so many things not just this) because it’s also their responsibility to disobey illegal orders.
Theyd have to walk back their tantrum about veterans saying illegal orders are illegal
And they should be, MAGA is a terrorist organization
Y’all mother fuckers ebeying in advance. These assholes will be held accountable. Call your representatives! Don’t assume their power is so great because it’s not!
Don’t “y’all” me, we ain’t kin and you don’t know me.
And what I do on Ebay is my own business, Bubba.
Except the Democrats have basically just announced they are going to do nothing because their efforts wouldn’t go anywhere. So better off not trying.
Our representatives are literally owned by Israel and Israel loves this administration so I doubt we’ll get anything except a congressional hearing where they get a pool noodle beating for an hour or two. Why isn’t Trump in prison? That was a slam dunk case
You are absolutely right. And even if they only end up charging some random lieutenant at the bottom of the chain, it will send a message to the rest of the troops that they will not be protected from the consequences of their actions.
Yeah I hear Obama is going to be arrested for drone striking Yemeni civilians too #TrustThePlan #StayTuned #AreYouEnjoyingTheShow
Which means, as the law is being followed in the US right now, only the plebs at the bottom might be held responsible.
Just like the Jan 6 hearings, they will drag it out for political points, but have no intention to seek actual charges, institutional change, military reform or anything.
It will just be: “Look at all the evil shit they did! Don’t you wish something could be done! Oh well. Also Maduro bad m’kay, drugs bad m’kay, Hamas bad m’kay, we love troops m’kay. Hearing adjourned!”
Spoiler: they won’t.
That would require the administration’s own people to bring those charges.
And I can already tell you the words you’re going to hear if this makes it to court. “Unlawful Combatant”, a designation we created so we could ignore the rules of war while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. Trump declared the Venezuelan drug cartels to be terrorists. Now they’re treating them like we treated the Taliban in Afghanistan.
These guys are literally just waiting for the next outrageous thing to push this one out of the news cycle.
And yeah, we’ve been doing airstrikes like this for 20 years.
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As someone who lives in MN. Why the hate for MN? Genuinely asking, because I don’t think we’re THAT bad.
It’s because y’all lie about how many lakes you have, you dishonest bastards. 15k != 10k
- a former Minnesotan
You’d think we would have learned after the great lake battles of 1878. Where we fought using snowballs and hot dish. Smh
Minnesota?
Those asshats will manage to walk. The ICC should step in so they can only travel between the USA and fucking Russia.
This is actually the example they use of an illegal order in the DOD manual.
Page 1117 18.3.2.1 https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23892053-dod-law-of-war-manual-june-2015-updated-july-2023/
Holy moly, all that’s left to do is to add a picture of Hegseth and of the exploded boat to illustrate this paragraph. SMH.
This should be top of the thread everywhere this story is mentioned, forever.
Incredible
Nooo, but trump and all his totally cool and not criminal bros said that the president cannot give an illegal order…
No no, he limits himself to “Clearly illegal” orders, normal illegal is beneath him.
Today I learned the word tragicomical
50/50 they pardon everyone or Trump uses this opportunity to forcefully retire more generals and get Hegseth out.
The war crimes don’t get pardons and have no statute of limitations.
I meant they offer the other generals a sweetheart deal of early retirement in exchange for testimony against Hegseth. IIRC some of the people involved with the torture prison in Iraq got to retire for their testimony.
Hey man, what does IIRC mean?
If I Recall Correctly
Thanks.
