Republicans and Dems on the Hill stunned by boat strike, concerned it could be war crime

Allegations of War Crimes - The report focuses on allegations that the Trump administration ordered and executed a second strike on survivors of an initial attack on a boat suspected of smuggling drugs, potentially constituting a war crime [1][2][3][5] - Legal experts, including former JAGs and the former head of the Office of Legal Counsel, suggest the actions, if accurate, violate international law and the Department of Defense's own manual, specifically regarding the treatment of shipwrecked individuals [11][14][15] - The alleged orders to "kill everybody" and the subsequent strike on survivors are considered by some to be a violation of the law of war, potentially leading to charges of murder or war crimes [2][3][11][13] Congressional and Public Reaction - Lawmakers from both Republican and Democratic parties are demanding answers and conducting oversight into the US military operation in the Caribbean [1][6][7][9] - Key figures on the Senate and House Armed Services Committees have vowed to investigate the allegations, highlighting the bipartisan concern over the reported events [6][7][9] - The report mentions that if the reporting is accurate, the actions taken are in violation of the Department of Defense's own manual, which prohibits the killing of shipwrecked enemies and constitutes a war crime [15] Context and Potential Misidentification - There are claims that Coast Guard interdictions of suspected drug running boats are incorrect at least 25% of the time [21] - The report raises the possibility that individuals on the boat may have been coerced into participating by drug cartels, suggesting they may not have been willing combatants [22] - A conservative commentator argues that attacking suspected drug boats is lawless and that individuals on board are not necessarily enemy combatants, even if they are criminals [17][18]