Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of War, is under mounting pressure as war crimes in the American military campaign in the Caribbean and a damning inspector general report on his handling of classified intelligence plunge the Pentagon into crisis.
Lawmakers from both parties renewed calls for Hegseth’s resignation after reports emerged that survivors of a September Caribbean boat strike were deliberately killed in a “double-tap” attack.
The Caribbean strikes targeted vessels accused of operating for drug cartels in Venezuela and Colombia. The airstrikes have so far resulted in multiple fatalities, including four in the latest strike announced Thursday.
The administration of President Donald Trump has justified the assaults as part of an armed conflict against designated terrorist organizations. However, rights groups say there is no public evidence that supports these claims, and legal experts question whether the strikes can be conducted without congressional authorization.... more below