Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has declined to commit to releasing video footage of a second missile strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, citing "responsibility" as the reason. When questioned about the release of the video during a Q&A session after a defense forum, Hegseth said, "We're reviewing the process, and we'll see." This statement suggests that the Pentagon is still assessing whether to make the footage public.
The incident occurred on September 2, when an initial missile strike killed eleven people, prompting criticism from the Trump administration. Subsequent reports revealed that a second missile was launched, killing two survivors who were attempting to climb back onto their boat. Hegseth has denied that he ordered the second strike, claiming that Navy Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley, the head of Special Operations Command, made the decision.
However, sources familiar with the matter have disputed this account, saying that Bradley told lawmakers that he was not instructed to leave any survivors alive. Congressional lawmakers were shown the footage and briefed on the incident by Bradley and General Dan Caine in a closed-door session.
Hegseth's handling of the situation has raised concerns about potential war crimes. Some experts believe that the second strike may have violated international law, as it appears to have targeted individuals attempting to escape. The Pentagon's decision not to release the full footage has further fueled controversy surrounding the incident.
President Trump has expressed support for releasing all available footage from the September 2 strikes but has stopped short of committing to make the video public.
The incident occurred on September 2, when an initial missile strike killed eleven people, prompting criticism from the Trump administration. Subsequent reports revealed that a second missile was launched, killing two survivors who were attempting to climb back onto their boat. Hegseth has denied that he ordered the second strike, claiming that Navy Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley, the head of Special Operations Command, made the decision.
However, sources familiar with the matter have disputed this account, saying that Bradley told lawmakers that he was not instructed to leave any survivors alive. Congressional lawmakers were shown the footage and briefed on the incident by Bradley and General Dan Caine in a closed-door session.
Hegseth's handling of the situation has raised concerns about potential war crimes. Some experts believe that the second strike may have violated international law, as it appears to have targeted individuals attempting to escape. The Pentagon's decision not to release the full footage has further fueled controversy surrounding the incident.
President Trump has expressed support for releasing all available footage from the September 2 strikes but has stopped short of committing to make the video public.
. the thing is, if there was a second missile strike that killed two survivors trying to escape, doesn't that kinda sound like war crimes? 
i'm not saying pete hegseth did anything wrong or intentionally tried to kill anyone, but it does seem suspicious that he's being super secretive about it.
president trump is pushing for release, so i guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens next. i'm kinda curious to know what really went down on that day in september... maybe someone will come forward with some answers soon? 
The fact that they're saying "we're reviewing" just sounds like an excuse to me... 
.
another dodgy thing comes outta the Pentagon... so they're sayin' no vid, just reviewin' the process 
, especially since it's alleged to have targeted people tryin' to escape 
. what's the story w/ this Admiral Bradley, anyway? say he told lawmakers he wasnt supposed 2 leave anyone alive 
, sayin' responsibility is the reason they ain't release the footage 
. war crimes worry me, fam 
And all these questions about war crimes and international law... it feels like we're being kept in the dark. Interesting! 
. Anyway, back to this defense sec thingy... what's the deal with war crimes again? Shouldn't there be, like, clearer guidelines on stuff like this? 
. And why are people still trying to spin this story like it was one guy's decision versus a whole chain of events? Come on, let's be real 
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