"Hegseth claims that the murders are authorized because the United States is "at war" with... drug cartels and "narcoterrorists." Since September, under Hegseth's direction, the US military has conducted 21 strikes (that we know of) on boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Ocean. These attacks have killed an estimated 83 civilians. The term "civilians" is important, because these people are not combatants. They are not waging war against the United States."
"Each one of these deaths is an execution without trial. The guy is ordering hits on unarmed civilians he has deemed a threat without trial or jury. His actions are criminal by any definition of "criminal law." The Department of Justice should charge him with crimes under the normal federal murder statute, and the DOJ should criminally charge all of the people willing to carry out his illegal, homicidal orders."
Pete Hegseth directed US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific while asserting the United States is "at war" with drug cartels and "narcoterrorists." Since September, 21 strikes under his direction have killed an estimated 83 civilians. Those killed were unarmed civilians who were not combatants and were not waging war against the United States. The government cannot lawfully kill people absent an imminent threat of violence or a trial, and declaring someone a "narcoterrorist" does not permit summary execution. The boat-strike operation constitutes a murder conspiracy and the Department of Justice should criminally charge Hegseth and those who carried out his orders.
Read at The Nation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]