This sums it up nicely , a picture is worth a 1000 posts

Another cartoon:

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday said the second strike was carried out “in self-defense” and “in accordance” with laws governing armed

conflict.

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, bubblegum said:

2 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Which laws have been confirmed to have been broken and by whom?   

 

Do you own digging.

Oh, I have, but there was no need because there's nothing to be found - as you well know.  

11 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

AI quickie Gemini

 

Commercial Transport Speedboats and high-speed ferries are used for fast transportation of passengers and goods between islands or along coastlines, especially in archipelagic nations where water transport is vital infrastructure.

 

Not All Suspected Boats Carry Drugs: While intelligence often points to smuggling activity, a 2024 Coast Guard report indicated that a notable percentage of searches of suspect vessels can come back empty-handed, highlighting that suspicion does not always equal a confirmed positive interdiction. 

 

i expected more from you

11 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

i expected more from you

Relevant to the wrongful death case in the works.

1 minute ago, jerrymahoney said:

Relevant to the wrongful death case in the works.

Not really

3 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Not really

 Quelle surprise

3 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Not really

That's just the kind of reasoning that courts love.

Whatever I thought about the long-shot possibilities * of the wrongful death case I described, they took a bit jump with the revelation of the follow-up killing that just became available.

 

* and suing the federal government is ALWAYS a long shot.

_______________________________

The Committee has directed inquiries to the Department, and we will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to the circumstances,” said Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the Senate committee chair, and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said. 

 

Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), a former chair of the House Intelligence Committee, agreed with Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Mark Kelly (Ariz.), who said the strike against defenseless individuals appeared illegal.  

 

“Obviously if that occurred, that would be very serious, and I agree that that would be an illegal act,” Turner said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. 

 

https://thehill.com/newsletters/morning-report/5627749-hegseth-boat-strike-scrutiny/

12 hours ago, bubblegum said:

Looks like you want a lawless society. Or just laws that satisfy your thinking. 

you strike me as a defund the police type, would you replace them with social workers ?   the drug cartels must be quaking in their boots

34 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

you strike me as a defund the police type, would you replace them with social workers ?   the drug cartels must be quaking in their boots

bubblegum's comments about your vieiws are based on what you wrote. Yours about his views are just based on your own empty clichéd thinking.

5 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

just like you I have my opinion, to which I am perfectly entiteld

You have every right to hold a baseless opinion.

5 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

I think they are already on the right track with blowing the smugglers out of the water

Coast Guard Seizes Over 240,000 Pounds of Cocaine, Doubling Amount Interdicted Over Previous Year

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/07/15/coast-guard-seizes-over-240000-pounds-cocaine-doubling-amount-interdicted-over

 

I looked for evidence that there has been a price rise in cocaine in 2025. Not much information except anecdotal which reports not much change. However, according to reports a lot more cocaine is being manufactured in Colombia. It's gotta go somewhere

On 12/1/2025 at 5:07 PM, spidermike007 said:

That suit is certainly evidence that the man is guilty, guilty of believing in American exceptionalism! 

Evidence that he is a complete tool.

2 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Oh, I have, but there was no need because there's nothing to be found - as you well know.  

Do you not do ANY research? or maybe just watch Fox news?

Pete Hegseth and Wife Spend Thanksgiving Serving Sailors Aboard Warships in the Atlantic

https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2025/11/28/pete-hegseth-and-wife-spend-thanksgiving-serving-sailors-aboard-warships-in-the-atlantic/

 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is a patriot and I am proud of his service to the U.S. government. It was nice of him and his wife to spend Thanksgiving with the troupes. 

I kind of saw this coming, as it was a little bit too hot in the kitchen for both Trump and Tiny Pete, so now they're deflecting and blaming the Admiral who took it upon himself to do a second strike, without anything prompting from the command structure. Ha! 

 

Petie, you are busted. Two days ago you said you ordered the "kill them all" strike. The world already knows that so no amount of song and dance is going to get you off the hook now. Guilty as charged. 

6 hours ago, Usnh said:

Do you not do ANY research? or maybe just watch Fox news?

Where do you get your must-be-a-so-much-better-news-source that puts you in such a superior position that you feel able to disparage those who watch Fox News?   Of course, in order for you to have an opinion of Fox you must watch it also, eh?

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I kind of saw this coming, as it was a little bit too hot in the kitchen for both Trump and Tiny Pete, so now they're deflecting and blaming the Admiral who took it upon himself to do a second strike, without anything prompting from the command structure. Ha! 

 

Petie, you are busted. Two days ago you said you ordered the "kill them all" strike. The world already knows that so no amount of song and dance is going to get you off the hook now. Guilty as charged. 

"Guilty as charged".

That would be no charges whatsoever,

8 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

you strike me as a defund the police type, would you replace them with social workers ?   the drug cartels must be quaking in their boots

You like the Taksin approach to drugs I guess

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I kind of saw this coming, as it was a little bit too hot in the kitchen for both Trump and Tiny Pete, so now they're deflecting and blaming the Admiral who took it upon himself to do a second strike, without anything prompting from the command structure. Ha! 

 

Petie, you are busted. Two days ago you said you ordered the "kill them all" strike. The world already knows that so no amount of song and dance is going to get you off the hook now. Guilty as charged. 

Perhaps those in command in the military aught to take senator Kelley’s advice to heart seeing how the cowards in the administration will throw them under the bus before taking responsibility…….furthermore just think of the cost of this political theater in real dollars as apposed to using those funds squandered they could have been used to buy and install technology to indirect smuggling at ports of entry and airports…..not as exciting for the knuckle draggers but far more effective.this president and it’s administration is a cartoon they aren’t serious.

“Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” said Leavitt. “Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.”

Late Monday, Hegseth posted: “Admiral Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since.”

 

https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-hegseth-maduro-512c66b99b2a13e9d1a3ed2699e78228

Hegseth cites ‘fog of war’ in defending follow-on strike on alleged drug boat

 

Updated 3:44 AM GMT+7, December 3, 2025

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday cited the “fog of war” in defending a follow-up strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea in early September.

 

During a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Hegseth said he did not see any survivors in the water, saying the vessel “exploded in fire, smoke, you can’t see anything. ... This is called the fog of war.”

 

Hegseth also said he “didn’t stick around” for the remainder of the Sept. 2 mission following the initial strike and the admiral in charge “made the right call” in ordering the second hit, which he “had complete authority to do.”

 

https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-trump-venezuela-540ae279827e02105e089f1bd5af37a6

How ironic, or not so, that in the Law of War Manual that is required reading for all members of the military, the example given of an “unlawful order”, which military personnel are obliged to ignore, is “what happens if during a ship strike there are survivors”. The manual goes on to state that those survivors must be aided and rescued (and a plan should be in place before the operation to address the possibility of survivors).

 

Because of the claims of 2 survivors, the Armed Services Committee of Congress is obligated to investigate, which means getting the complete video showing "two survivors clinging to the burning craft", and the audio of who gave the order to leave no survivors (which would be a direct violation of the US' Law of War manual).

 

Hegseth went on his old network the day after the strike boasting about the strike and that he was involved live during the strike, which he claimed was a narco terrorist boat filled with drugs coming “to poison the US”. His Fox TV appearance is at odds with the statement from WH spokesperson Leavitt.

 

The video of the strike, parts of which the Pentagon has made available, shows 11 people in a small boat with no major cargo, so “filled with drugs” is rather hyperbolic.

 

The military and DEA also know full well that in any major drug running operation, personnel are kept to a minimum for two reasons: to allow more space for cargo, and to limit knowledge of the operation.

 

A major drug runner is more like pardoned Honduran President Hernandez, who was part of an organization that ran 400 tonnes of drugs into the US.

On 12/1/2025 at 10:30 AM, Bday Prang said:

There seems to be more outrage over the rightful killing of some scumbag drug smugglers than over the assignation of Charlie Kirk

Let's get things into perspective ,  if President Trump was not in the Whitehouse  this would quite rightly go unmentioned 

Those smugglers gave up all  of their rights when they started that journey, 

Wrong.

 

Obviously you never served. You have no idea what's in the Law of War manual (produced by the Pentagon).

 

The specific example of "unlawful order", which military personnel are obliged to ignore, regards survivors of a strike on an enemy vessel. Survivors are required to be aided and rescued if possible, and any military operation should have as part of its plan how to aid and rescue any survivors.

43 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

During a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Hegseth said he did not see any survivors in the water, saying the vessel “exploded in fire, smoke, you can’t see anything. ... This is called the fog of war.”

AKA 'Brain Fog'

 

What is brain fog?
“Brain fog” is a term for a range of symptoms that cause cognitive impairment. This affects your ability to think clearly, focus, concentrate, remember and pay attention. Like its name, these symptoms cloud your mind and make it difficult to perform routine tasks like holding a conversation, listening to instructions or remembering the steps of something you’re doing.

 

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/brain-fog

20 minutes ago, Wingate said:

Wrong.

 

Obviously you never served. You have no idea what's in the Law of War manual (produced by the Pentagon).

 

The specific example of "unlawful order", which military personnel are obliged to ignore, regards survivors of a strike on an enemy vessel. Survivors are required to be aided and rescued if possible, and any military operation should have as part of its plan how to aid and rescue any survivors.

As you know, that only applies when the target is destroyed and no longer of any use.  A disabled vessel and or cargo that can be saved is still a viable target and should be treated as such. 

54 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

Hegseth cites ‘fog of war’ in defending follow-on strike on alleged drug boat

 

Updated 3:44 AM GMT+7, December 3, 2025

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday cited the “fog of war” in defending a follow-up strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea in early September.

 

During a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Hegseth said he did not see any survivors in the water, saying the vessel “exploded in fire, smoke, you can’t see anything. ... This is called the fog of war.”

 

Hegseth also said he “didn’t stick around” for the remainder of the Sept. 2 mission following the initial strike and the admiral in charge “made the right call” in ordering the second hit, which he “had complete authority to do.”

 

https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-trump-venezuela-540ae279827e02105e089f1bd5af37a6

The Armed Services Committee will get the entire video and we'll see.

 

As for "had complete authority to do" does not constitute legality. Again, the video will show who might have given authority for a second strike, and such an order had better not note "survivors", because survivors and second strike violate the Pentagon's own Law of War Manual.

5 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

As you know, that only applies when the target is destroyed and no longer of any use.  A disabled vessel and or cargo that can be saved is still a viable target and should be treated as such. 

Wait for the video in full.

 

Even with what has been released so far by the Pentagon, it hardly looks like a major shipment.

 

A major shipment is more the purview of pardoned Honduran President Hernandez. No way that tiny little boat, with 11 people on it, had 400 tonnes of drugs.