Pentagon leaders brief lawmakers on U.S. boat strikes, fueling debate over legality

Amna Nawaz:

Welcome to the "News Hour."

A new bipartisan divide has broken open after senior U.S. military officers showed Congress video of multiple strikes on a boat in the Caribbean in early September. Republicans backed the decision by a special operations forces commander to target survivors of the first strike in the administration's campaign against alleged drug boats.

Geoff Bennett:

But Democrats accused the commander of targeting a shipwreck, which would be a violation of international law. Both sides agreed that Secretary Hegseth did not provide what would have been an illegal order to kill everyone on board.

Nick Schifrin begins our coverage.

Question:

Admiral, General, what's your message to the American people?

Nick Schifrin:

On Capitol Hill today, the U.S.' most senior military officer and the admiral at the center of a contentious strike gave their version and revealed more video of the September two attack that targeted what the administration says were 11 narco-terrorists.

A U.S. official tells "PBS News Hour" that Admiral Frank Mitch Bradley and chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Dan Caine told lawmakers in classified briefings that the first strike killed nine people and that, after the first strike, the boat was still seaworthy, the men on board still had drugs and communications, which meant they were still combatants, and a rescue boat was approaching.

Bradley then ordered the second strike 30 to 60 minutes later to kill two more people. A third and fourth strike sunk the boat.

That narrative embraced by Republicans, including Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR):

I saw two survivors trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound for the United States, back over so they could stay in the fight. The first strike, the second strike, and the third and fourth strike on September 2 were entirely lawful and needful and they were exactly what we would expect our military commanders to do.

Nick Schifrin:

But one of the lawmakers critical of today's briefing tells "PBS News Hour" that the ship was capsized by the first strike and almost submerged. The survivors had no means of communication and it's not clear if the boat nearby would come to their rescue.

House Intelligence Ranking Member Jim Himes:

Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT):

What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I have seen in my time in public service. You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel, who were killed by the United States.

Any American who sees the video that I saw will see the United States military attacking shipwrecked sailors.

Nick Schifrin:

But there was bipartisan agreement that Secretary Pete Hegseth did not give a written or verbal order before the strikes to kill everyone on board.

Sen. Tom Cotton:

Admiral Bradley was very clear that he was given no such order.

Rep. Jim Himes:

The admiral confirmed that there had not been a "Kill them all" order.

Nick Schifrin:

The U.S. military says, since September, it's launched 21 strikes, killing more than 80, in a mission designed to save American lives from drugs. In mid-October, the U.S. struck this submarine and, instead of targeting survivors, rescued them, because, unlike the previous case, their ship was no longer seaworthy, Cotton said today.

Sen. Tom Cotton:

They were treated, as they should be, as noncombatants. They were picked up by U.S. forces.

Nick Schifrin:

Democrats and many former military lawyers still question whether the overall campaign is legal. But when it comes to the September 2 strike, it appears Republicans, who lead Congress, are satisfied with the military and administration's explanations.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Nick Schifrin.