We have entered the moving the goalpost phase of the Trump administration's response to the fallout from news of a double tap boat strike in the Caribbean in which US forces killed survivors from an attack on an alleged drug trafficking vessel. What experts from across the political spectrum believe may have been a war crime. Defense Secretary Pete Hegath today called it a matter of quote deterrence.Watch. Deterrence has to matter, not arrest and hand over and then do it again. The rinse and repeat approach ...

joining us, Democratic Congressman Jim Heims of Connecticut. He's the ranking member, as I said a moment ago, of the House Intelligence Committee. Thank you very much for joining us.>> Thanks for having me, Katie. >> Um, I'm sure you got at least a little bit of that cabinet meeting. What do you make of the um defense from the White House right now, which is that they believe that the strikes were within bounds.Uh, Admiral Bradley made the right call and Pete Hexith now saying he did not see the second stri ...

And right now I'm joined by former defense secretary and former CIA director Leon Panetta. It's always good to see you, sir. I I want to play just as a reminder exactly what Secretary Hegsth himself said about this strike on Fox News the day after it happened.>> I watched it live. Uh we knew exactly who was in that boat. We knew exactly what they were doing and we knew exactly who they represented.And that was Trendy Aaru, a narot terrorist organization designated by the United States trying to poison our c ...

So, now we know uh now we know why President Trump and his administration got so freaked out uh when Democratic lawmakers, military and intelligence veterans who are now in Congress, uh posted that video reminding American service members that they don't have to follow illegal orders. Now, it makes sense why that caused such a freakout, right. I mean, it was sort of on its face a weird thing to get upset about.Not being obliged to follow illegal orders. That's like, you know, the sun rises in the east. That ...

Alleged War Crime Investigation - The report focuses on allegations of a war crime involving a military air strike in the Caribbean, ordered by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegath, targeting suspected drug smugglers [1][2] - Lawmakers from both parties suggest the strike is illegal if the reporting is accurate, potentially constituting a war crime due to targeting survivors [3][4] - The Pentagon's manual for the laws of war states that attacking incapacitated individuals is dishonorable and inhumane [5] - Senate and House Armed Services Committees will investigate the matter [5] Administration's Response and Justification - Pete Hegsath and the Pentagon deny the accusations, maintaining the actions were lawful [8] - The administration has conducted at least 21 strikes resulting in 83 fatalities, with the legality of these actions being debated [8] - The White House claims the strike was conducted in self-defense to protect American interests [19] - Critics argue the self-defense claim is implausible, as interdicting drug boats is a common practice without resorting to lethal force [20][21] Legal and Ethical Concerns - Legal experts argue that it's unclear if the actions in the Caribbean constitute a war, making the killings extrajudicial [16][17] - Concerns are raised about the administration acting as judge, jury, and assassin in the "war on drugs" [18] - Historical precedent is cited, noting that individuals were prosecuted after World War II for similar actions of killing survivors [14][27]

Joining me now is the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Virginia Democrat Mark Warner. Senator, I want to begin with this reporting that the military conducted a second strike on what the administration claims was a drug carrying boat from Venezuela after the initial strike failed to kill all on board. That's according to a US official and a source familiar with the action.What is your reaction to this reporting. >> My reaction is why are we waited 3 months to get this information. Uh, I've r ...

All right, joining us now, former assistant US attorney Sean P. Murphy, who previously worked in the transnational organized crime section at the US Attorney's Office District of Puerto Rico, former Pennsylvania Congresswoman Susan Wild, national security correspondent for NPR, Greg Meyer, and former Secretary of the Air Force, and current senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, Frank Kendall. Um, Greg, I I guess I'll start with you on this.That disconnect, I think, is really jarring. On the one ...

Alleged War Crime Investigation - The core issue revolves around the legality of using lethal force against individuals clinging to wreckage who pose no threat to US military forces [2][3] - The situation is being compared to Nazi submarines machine-gunning survivors, highlighting the gravity of the alleged actions [4] - Legal experts suggest that boat strikes themselves may not be a proper use of military force under international law [14] - A "double tap" strike, specifically targeting those out of combat, is considered a war crime [15] Accountability and Responsibility - Everyone involved, from the Secretary of Defense down to the individuals who pulled the trigger, could be held accountable under civilian law and the Uniform Code of Military Justice [14] - Military members have an obligation to disobey patently unlawful orders [17] - Obeying an unlawful order subjects everyone involved to legal accountability [18] Political and Military Implications - The Secretary of Defense's actions are described as unserious and potentially putting military personnel at risk of committing war crimes [9] - There are concerns about the role of Congress in overseeing military operations [5] - The incident is causing upset among Republicans, and the President is attempting to distance himself from it [7]