The ongoing debate over the legality of a military strike in the Caribbean has intensified as US Democrats call on the Trump administration to release video footage of a second strike on an alleged drug boat. This incident, which occurred on September 2, resulted in the tragic deaths of eleven individuals, including two men who were reportedly killed in a follow-up strike while clinging to the wreckage for over an hour. The situation has drawn significant scrutiny and accusations of war crimes, especially after a report from the Washington Post indicated that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had issued an order to “kill them all.”
Admiral Frank Bradley of the US Navy, who oversaw the operation, testified before lawmakers that no such order was given, and the Pentagon has consistently defended the legality of the attack. However, legal experts have expressed concerns that the Pentagon's defense may not hold up under scrutiny. “If the Pentagon and our defense secretary are so proud of what they’re doing, let the American people see that video,” said Democratic Senator Adam Schiff from California during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press. He urged for transparency, emphasizing the importance of allowing the public to assess the actions taken by the military.
Schiff added, “Let the American people see two people standing on a capsized boat, or sitting on a capsized boat, and deliberately killed and decide for themselves whether they’re proud of what the country is doing. I can’t imagine people would be proud of that.”
In a surprising twist, former President Donald Trump stated that he has no objections to releasing the video. However, Secretary Hegseth did not provide a definitive commitment to this request during a press briefing. “We’re reviewing the process, and we’ll see,” he said, indicating that the Pentagon is cautious about revealing sensitive information.
Congressman Jim Himes of Connecticut, who serves as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, previously described the video as “one of the most troubling scenes I’ve ever seen in my time in public service.” He highlighted the dire circumstances of the individuals involved, stating, “You have two individuals in clear distress without any means of locomotion – with a destroyed vessel – who were killed by the United States.”
Representative Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee from Washington State, expressed skepticism about the Pentagon's reluctance to release the video. He remarked during an interview on ABC’s This Week, “It’s pretty clear they don’t want to release this video. They don’t want people to see it because it’s very, very difficult to justify.” Smith pointed out that the survivors of the attack were not attempting to salvage the boat, which was clearly incapacitated, and they lacked any means of communication or weaponry.
On the other hand, Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed a more lenient view regarding the release of the video. He stated, “It’s not gruesome. I didn’t find it distressing or disturbing. It looks like any number of dozens of strikes we’ve seen on Jeeps and pickup trucks in the Middle East over the years.” Cotton emphasized his trust in Secretary Hegseth and his team to make the appropriate decision about declassifying and releasing the footage.
Moreover, Cotton defended the legality of the strike, arguing that the two men killed were not in a state of distress. “It doesn’t really matter what they were doing,” he claimed. “They were on that boat. That boat was still a valid target. They were not in a state of distress on a plank of wood in the ocean like subsequent survivors were.”
The call for transparency regarding the military actions in the Caribbean continues to grow among Democrats, while the Pentagon remains defensive about the legality of the strike. As the debate unfolds, the release of the video could play a pivotal role in shaping public perception and accountability regarding military actions taken by the United States.