Skip to main content
Holiday Sale — Get 40% off Vantage for yourself or as a gift
Published loading...Updated

New York Times Debunks War Crime Story By the Washington Post

Conflicting reports dispute whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or Admiral Frank Bradley authorized the second strike, raising potential war crimes concerns over survivors of a drug-smuggling boat.

  • On September 2, a follow‑up strike killed survivors off Trinidad and Tobago, sparking a dispute over authorization as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Adm. Frank Bradley made the final decision.
  • Conflicting reporting from national newspapers prompted internal and public questions about the chain of command, with The Washington Post reporting Hegseth gave a spoken order justifying a second strike, while The New York Times published a contrasting account.
  • Former military lawyers and scholars said the follow-up strike likely violates the U.S. Department of Defense Law of War Manual and is prosecutable under federal law or the UCMJ, Todd Huntley said.
  • White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed Adm. Frank Bradley, prompting Pentagon backlash, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote `I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made on the September 2 mission and all others since` before Bradley's Thursday briefing.
  • The question of authorization matters because it determines potential war‑crimes liability and accountability, as nearly two dozen drug boats have been bombed without congressional approval and scant evidence of fentanyl claims, U.S. military leaders said.
Insights by Ground AI

19 Articles

Lean Left

The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, blamed “the fog,” but, above all, laid down in a subordinate his responsibility in an action that could be counted as a war crime: a second bombing of a supposed narco-lanche coming from Venezuela in Caribbean waters to top off the survivors of a first attack. That subordinate is the senior officer of the army that was in charge of the operation, Admiral Frank Bradley, who is quoted on Thursday at the Capi…

·Spain
Read Full Article
Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 53% of the sources lean Right
53% Right

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

Townhall broke the news in Washington, United States on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
Search
Blindspot LogoBlindspotLocal