this post was submitted on 01 Dec 2025
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Press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed the apparent war crime was legal even as she said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth knew nothing about it.

The White House on Monday shifted the blame for killing the survivors of a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and onto the commanding admiral.

Killing survivors of a destroyed vessel is literally an example of a war crime in the U.S. Department of Defense Law of War Manual. “For example, orders to fire upon the shipwrecked would be clearly illegal,” the manual reads.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt, nevertheless, repeatedly stated that it was legal – even as she further claimed, as Donald Trump did Sunday, that Hegseth was unaware that it had happened.

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[–] xxce2AAb@feddit.dk 175 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

And this is one of the many, many good reasons why one does not comply with illegal orders, damn it!

[–] 0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

Ah, yes the most upstanding army that didn't comply to illegal orders in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria et al.

The fuck you guys smoking?

[–] xxce2AAb@feddit.dk 13 points 10 hours ago

That just underscores the point I made.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)
[–] bear@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

That makes me wonder what the highest level frag has been. I mean, not counting Caesar.

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[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 88 points 19 hours ago (3 children)

Killing survivors of a destroyed vessel is literally an example of a war crime in the U.S. Department of Defense Law of War Manual. “For example, orders to fire upon the shipwrecked would be clearly illegal,” the manual reads.

RTFM

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[–] UnspecificGravity@infosec.pub 76 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Oh look, exactly what Mark Kelly was talking about. Shit rolls down hill guys. Remember that when someone orders you to murder people.

[–] massacre@lemmy.world 22 points 12 hours ago

The top brass who aren't full on MAGA, but didn't leave now have clear proof that they are expendable and will be scapegoated to protect Trump and his croneys. Honestly showing their hand at this stage gives me a lot of hope that any coup won't happen now and resistance will be strengthened from within. I smell leaks coming!

[–] Asfalttikyntaja@sopuli.xyz 11 points 14 hours ago

I just followed the orders.

[–] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 66 points 18 hours ago

As they should. But the fact that he chose to follow an obviously illegal order, doesn't absolve the ones who gave that order. This should in no way, take the heat off Hegseth...or Trump himself.

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 47 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

So we went from denial, to it happened but it wasn't us...

[–] Instigate@aussie.zone 22 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

The Narcissist’s Prayer:

That didn't happen.
And if it did, it wasn't that bad.
And if it was, that's not a big deal.
And if it is, that's not my fault. <— we are here
And if it was, I didn't mean it.
And if I did, you deserved it.

[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 22 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

I think we're currently in the phase where it's rapidly undulating between both takes.

Give it another week and it'll devolve into "what firing on shipwrecked people? What are you talking about? Lalalala, I can't hear you!"

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 7 points 13 hours ago

When do we enter the phase that no boat was even destroyed that day?

[–] jaybone@lemmy.zip 44 points 10 hours ago (3 children)

Follow illegal orders, get thrown under the bus.

Dont follow illegal orders, get thrown under the bus.

[–] mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 22 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

you know I'm starting to think that maybe they should just deal with the people giving the orders

[–] khaleer@sopuli.xyz 8 points 6 hours ago

That's very uncommon for brainwashed crowd called "military" to do so.

[–] DarkSpectrum@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago

Stop the bus

[–] Wilco@lemmy.zip 5 points 5 hours ago

Its probably best to distance from the MAGA insanity if at all possible.

[–] myfunnyaccountname@lemmy.zip 43 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

I can’t believe it was Joe Biden that flew the plane.

[–] Proles_Uprising_Now@lemmy.world 26 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

I heard Obama told him too

[–] regedit@lemmy.zip 22 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Hillary coordinated it all from email!

[–] Spacehooks@reddthat.com 4 points 4 hours ago

It's all on the private server!

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

Pretty sure Obama was the weapons specialist on board… gees.

[–] ceenote@lemmy.world 42 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

If he ordered it, or complied with the order from above, lock him up. If not, this accusation is yet another confession.

[–] Eh_I@lemmy.world 15 points 18 hours ago

Time to make this witness cooperative.

[–] BigMacHole@sopuli.xyz 35 points 17 hours ago

It was LEGAL but ALSO Pete Hegseth DIDNT know about it AND we Fired someone Over it!

[–] kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world 33 points 13 hours ago

As was said elsewhere, the transmitted command will have been recorded. The hard undeniable truth can be provided. Congress just needs to subpoena it, or a soldier with a conscience needs to whistleblow and leak it. Otherwise, we trust the liars' word and they get away with yet more of what are unquestionably, objectively, war crimes.

[–] HocEnimVeni@lemmy.world 30 points 18 hours ago

Hmm, I wonder why Admiral Holsey decided to retire when he did. 🤔

[–] flango@lemmy.eco.br 29 points 16 hours ago

First of all, blowing up a boat like is illegal. Even if it was legal you'll have to prove that the boat contained drugs, but you just blowed your evidences! The guys that survived the attack then would have no charges over them and would be set free. Probably these guys were innocent and the boat was not a drug boat, thus they killed them as a cover up

[–] DandomRude@lemmy.world 29 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (2 children)

We also don't fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement, just common sense, maximum lethality and authority for warfighters.

Pete Hegseth [Source]

[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 6 points 6 hours ago (1 children)
[–] DandomRude@lemmy.world 7 points 6 hours ago

Indeed, and a murderer

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

warfighters

I fucking hate the way this LARPer talks about armed forces

[–] DandomRude@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

What do you expect? The man is a washed-up talk show host and a drunk. He is by no means the only completely unsuitable buffoon in this incompetent, criminal administration.

Just for comparison: the Secretary of Education, Lisa McMahon, is a former wrestling promoter (Vince McMahon's wife), and the Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is a conspiracy theorist and anti-vaccination advocate - not to mention the president.

All of this is so ridiculous that it would be funny if it weren't costing so many lives...

[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 22 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

As a sailor, I find the whole shoddy affair most disgusting.

Yes in war (and this was by no means a war) we may seek to kill one another as enemies, but every sailor knows, it is the sea who is the ultimate enemy.

A human adrift at sea is a pitiful thing. To save them is to save ourselves.

[–] regedit@lemmy.zip 12 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Even in WWII, the German Navy refused Hitler's illegal orders and outright saved or radioed the location of boats they sunk and survivors in the water, even to the peril of their crew stealth. It pissed Hitler off early in the war.

[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 8 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Captain Zur See Hans Langsdorff of the Graf Spee was famous for this. It did eventually cost him his ship though he saved the majority of his crew along with any Allied prisoners he had aboard.

The German submarine fleet, on the other hand, was less inclined to do this primarily due to the nature of the submarine as a weapon. Though there were exceptions.

[–] regedit@lemmy.zip 2 points 5 hours ago

I'm a huge German UBoat fan. Loved Silent Hunter III and Wolfpack for games and live a few hours south of Chicago!

[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world 15 points 3 hours ago

Hey military— see what happens when you obey illegal orders?

⤵️🚌

[–] SaraTonin@lemmy.world 11 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Can it be a war crime if you’re not actually at war? Seems like it’s just murder.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Don't need to be at war to commit "war crimes"

[–] SaraTonin@lemmy.world 1 points 40 minutes ago

There has to be an armed conflict between two or more nations. Otherwise they’re “just” crimes.

[–] AlecSadler@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Kill. Them. All.

And I don't mean boat.

[–] Tryenjer@lemmy.world 4 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

"Burn. Them. All." , Hegseth

Mad King Aerys II vibes.

[–] Mastengwe@sh.itjust.works 2 points 13 hours ago

Gotta keep those trains running on time.

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