"A post on social media by US defense secretary Pete Hegseth, depicting a beloved children's character aiming a rocket launcher at a cluster of boats, has elicited condemnation from the book's Canadian publisher. Hegseth's post of the mocked cover of a Franklin the Turtle book titled Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists prompted disbelief and outrage. The image shows a smiling anthropomorphic turtle in military helmet and vest, with a US flag on his arm and a drug-laden boat exploding in the background. For your Christmas wish list, Hegseth wrote as the caption."
"Hegseth's post came amid growing outrage over a string of deadly US strikes on boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific, which have killed at least 80 people. The extrajudicial killings received fresh attention last week after Hegseth was reported to have commanded military personnel to kill everybody on board vessels after two survivors were spotted after a 2 September strike. The survivors were killed during a second strike."
"Hegseth's post, which seemingly mocks a practice that experts have condemned as illegal, was met with frustration by the publisher of Canadian children's book series over his unauthorized depictions of its main character. Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity, the publisher Kids Can Press wrote in a statement on X. We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin's name or image, which directly contradicts these values, the publishing house added."
Pete Hegseth, US defense secretary, posted a mocked Franklin the Turtle book cover titled Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists showing the turtle in military gear firing a rocket launcher at a drug-laden boat, captioned "For your Christmas wish list." The image prompted disbelief and outrage and was condemned by publisher Kids Can Press for unauthorized, violent use of the character, which the publisher says contradicts the series' values of kindness, empathy, and inclusivity. The post came amid outrage over deadly US strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific that have killed at least 80 people and reports that Hegseth ordered forces to kill everyone on board after survivors were spotted. Multiple other mock covers proliferated online, some critical of Hegseth, while the Franklin series has more than 50 titles and some 20 million copies sold.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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