Hegseth says he missed survivors in boat strike as scrutiny mounts

by · UPI

Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that he did not see any survivors after a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug boat and "a couple hours" passed before he learned of a second lethal attack on the vessel.

Speaking to reporters assembled for a cabinet meeting, Hegseth distanced himself from the strike that killed the two survivors as they floated helplessly in the water along with the ship's remains. The incident has drawn accusations of being a war crime and has attracted bipartisan scrutiny in Congress.

But Hegseth struck a defiant tone, saying he watched the strike remotely and did not see any survivors because of the smoke and flames left in its aftermath.

"This is called the fog of war," he said.

Related

Hegseth also defended Adm. Frank M. Bradley, who was in charge of the strike, saying he made the correct decision to ultimately sink the boat and eliminate the threat. Attacks on suspected drug boats had "only just begun," he said.

Since September, the Trump administration has carried out 21 attacks on boats suspected of carrying narcotics into the United States, killing more than 80 people. President Donald Trump and Hegseth have sought to justify the strikes as acts of defense against "narcoterrorists" trying to bring deadly drugs into the United States.

Critics of the strikes say they amount to extrajudicial killings that deny people on the boats due process. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has said they violate international law.

During the cabinet meeting, Hegseth again denied reporting by The Washington Post that he ordered military personnel to "kill everybody" on the boat. The strike killed a total of 11 people.

Meanwhile, the Senate Armed Services Committee has called for a hearing on the incident. Notably, the hearing is supported by Republican Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker and Sen. Jack Reed, the committee's top Democrat.

Similarly, the House Armed Services Committee is planning "rigorous oversight" of the attacks with the support of Republican Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers and ranking member Rep. Adam Smith.