00:03Donald Trump's administration has been accused of committing war crimes following reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a second strike on survivors of a September 2nd maritime attack in the Caribbean.
00:14Reports say at least two survivors clung to wreckage after an initial strike on a suspected drug smuggling boat, and a second strike allegedly killed them.
00:23Newsmax's senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano accused Hegseth of criminal conduct, saying,
00:30This is an act of a war crime, ordering survivors who the law requires be rescued instead to be murdered.
00:36Members of Congress from both parties have raised concerns about the legality of the strike.
00:41Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland told ABC News that it is very possible there was a war crime committed, adding that a second strike on incapacitated survivors would violate the law of armed conflict.
00:53Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska said it would be a clear violation of the law of war.
00:58Senator Mark Kelly said the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing and put Pentagon leaders under oath.
01:05The White House has emphasized that the September 2nd strike was carried out in self-defense.
01:10Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said,
01:13The strike conducted on September 2nd was conducted in self-defense to protect Americans in vital United States interests.
01:18Hegseth denied wrongdoing, stating,
01:22Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a designated terrorist organization.
01:26Pentagon officials said the second strike aimed to sink a navigation hazard, while lawmakers demanded surveillance footage.
01:33Legal experts noted that under the Geneva Conventions, killing survivors incapable of fighting is a war crime.
01:39Ryan Goodman wrote that if enemy combatants can be put out of action by capturing them, they should not be injured.
01:47If they can be put out of action by injury, they should not be killed.
01:51If confirmed, officials could face criminal liability under military law or international tribunals,
01:56and hearings will test claims about threat, legality, and evidence.
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