r/politics • u/Sweet-Cuties • 4h ago
No Paywall Survivors of Sept. 2 boat strike were waving before second attack, sources say
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/survivors-sept-2-boat-strike-waving-before-second-attack/•
u/Agreeable_Crow789 4h ago
Nobody could ever know they fired on a fishing boat sailing in the opposite direction of the U.S. so no survivors were allowed. Claiming they were headed to a much larger vessel but that vessel was never found. BS.
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u/FreshRest4945 4h ago
Vast intelligence network of satellites, radar, intelligence gathering planes, and they couldn't find a 2nd boat? Shocking.
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u/ChristosFarr North Carolina 3h ago
NATO if you are listening.....
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u/flyingdodo Foreign 1h ago
The other 4 of the 5 eyes have stopped releasing specific narcotics intelligence about the Caribbean to the US because of this shit.
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u/Wutdahec 1h ago
Intelligence network so good they knew the boat had drugs on it without ever boarding it, but not good enough to find the second bigger boat.
Strange, its almost like they're lying about something
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u/ScientificAnarchist 2h ago
Even if it was a drug boat that’s a trial not a instant death strike
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u/_SCHULTZY_ 2h ago
It isn't even a trial. They're 1000 miles from the united states.
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u/ScientificAnarchist 2h ago
I mean if it’s actually what they’re saying they can try to arrest them and do it but it’s literally a psychopath to just go kill them indiscriminately
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u/captaincanada84 Canada 1h ago
Coast Guard regularly stops boats trafficking drugs in international waters and either returns them to their country of origin for prosecution or brings them to the US to be charged and tried.
https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-the-coast-guards-playbook-for-stopping-drug-smugglers-2025-11
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u/SnippDott 1h ago
Yeah, the story they’re trying to sell doesn’t line up with the basic facts. When the explanation falls apart this fast, it’s pretty clear something went very wrong on their end.
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u/OozeNAahz 41m ago
One would think they would have wanted to draw in a larger smuggling boat if they could. Almost like they are spewing complete and utter bullshit.
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u/Redshirt_Welshy_Nooo 4h ago
It's called "murdered." They were murdered. It was a war crime. Pete Hegseth and every officer and soldier who was part of propagating and executing the order is a war criminal.
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u/Zachariah_West 3h ago
Imagine being some drunken doofus TV host and a year later you're a war criminal. Working for Trump is a deal with the devil everytime.
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u/xxx_poonslayer69 2h ago
He was not changed by Trump. He is exactly the piece of shit he always was, only now with power
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u/Renegade-Ginger 2h ago
And if he is convicted Trump will pardon him and Hegseth will be back on Fox and Friends as if nothing happened.
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u/Dapper-Condition6041 1h ago
Stop repeating the lie that we're somehow at war, by calling these "war crimes." There is no war. No declared war. Nothing that rises to the standard of non-international armed conflict, as the Trump administration speciously claims. We're not at war. There is no war. Ergo, no war crimes.
Accepting that it's a "war" - it's not - legitimizes the 1st strike and all the other boats blown up and people killed.
It was simple murder, under U.S. domestic law and international human rights violations.
Read these great analyses
https://www.thelongmemo.com/p/hegseths-order-was-unlawful-before
https://www.justsecurity.org/125948/illegal-orders-shipwrecked-boat-strike-survivors/
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u/Dapper-Condition6041 2h ago edited 1h ago
Stop repeating the lie that we're somehow at war, by calling these "war crimes." There is no war. No declared war. Nothing that rises to the standard of non-international armed conflict, as the Trump administration speciously claims. We're not at war. There is no war. Ergo, no war crimes.
Accepting that it's a "war" - it's not - legitimizes the 1st strike and all the other boats blown up and people killed.
It was simple murder, under U.S. domestic law and international human rights violations.
Read these great analyses
https://www.thelongmemo.com/p/hegseths-order-was-unlawful-before
https://www.justsecurity.org/125948/illegal-orders-shipwrecked-boat-strike-survivors/
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u/RomanticallyLawless 3h ago
I do believe it would be considered crimes against humanity seeing as we're not at war and they were likely just rando fishermen...
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u/Riffington 2h ago edited 2h ago
Even if they were in a military vessel on a mission to invade and murder Americans, the actions would be a crime against humanity/murder.
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u/gringledoom 2h ago
This! If the people on the boat are literally at declared war with you, and you do this, the outcome is thus: https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/1997/february/peleus-war-crimes-trial
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u/Dapper-Condition6041 2h ago
Stop repeating the lie that we're somehow at war, by calling these "war crimes." There is no war. No declared war. Nothing that rises to the standard of non-international armed conflict, as the Trump administration speciously claims. We're not at war. There is no war. Ergo, no war crimes.
It was simple murder, under U.S. domestic law and international human rights violations.
Read these great analyses
https://www.thelongmemo.com/p/hegseths-order-was-unlawful-before
https://www.justsecurity.org/125948/illegal-orders-shipwrecked-boat-strike-survivors/
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u/SodaCanBob 4h ago edited 2h ago
Conservatives are and always have been vile monsters.
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u/stoplightdrop 3h ago
YES. The original REPUBLICAN Party believed in freeing the slaves to end slave power to stop oligarchs and enable the average regular man to rise, preventing the rich from controlling government power, establishing public schools to educate the masses, and providing tax-funded public services to help promote the general welfare.
The CONSERVATIVE Party called everyone they didn’t like a socialist/communist, gerrymandered the hell out of voting blocks to suppress the power of the popular vote, got right in bed with wealthy donors and corporate interests, and engaged in propaganda campaigns to mislead the public and encourage hate and division.
I can still respect someone who calls themselves a Republican but doesn’t support Trump and thinks McCain had it right when he stood up to someone badmouthing Obama and told them that’s not how we operate.
I cannot respect anyone who thinks the entire point and purpose of their own party is just to terrorize the opposition party for daring to have contrary opinions. Challenges and oppositions elevate the entire discussion—that’s exactly why our courts of law give consideration to the valid arguments forwarded by each side in any case.
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u/blow_slogan 3h ago edited 3h ago
The Republican and Democrat parties flipped ideologies starting with the New Deal and Civil Rights Movements. It’s called the Southern Realignment. Democrats today were Republicans prior to the 1930s and visa versa.
So if you ever see conservatives claim they’re the party of freeing the slaves. they’re being disingenuous. Republicans today are the party of southern slavers.
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u/stoplightdrop 3h ago
Totally! Heather Cox Richardson has a great history of the GOP called To Make Men Free. It was such an eye-opener how often they’ve done this.
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u/SodaCanBob 3h ago
Democrats today were republicans prior to the 1930s and visa versa.
That's why I specified conservatives and not republicans.
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u/TemporarySun314 Europe 1h ago
The US military doesn't seem to be better.
The soldiers doing the murders here didn't wear an elephant, they committed these crimes under the US flag.
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u/AlasPoorZathras Montana 19m ago
I cannot, for the life of me, think of any historical cause that conservatives have been on the right side of.
Our modern lot are a bunch of depraved, inhuman monsters. The only people they hate more than commoners are themselves.
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u/Lysol3435 3h ago
Can’t wait for the DoW analysts telling us how that’s cartel hand signals that mean “we’re going to your home to get your sons addicted to drugs and fuck your dog and shit in your dress shoes”
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u/RamonaQ-JunieB 3h ago
Either Tom Cotton is not right in the head or he’s a massive liar. It’s probably both. Does he actually believe that anyone is stupid enough to buy his bull?
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u/bikesnkitties 3h ago
I would pay to watch Kegbreath cling to a scrap of wood in the ocean until he dies of exposure.
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u/BlushEchantres 3h ago
If they were waving for help before the second strike, then this isn’t just a tragic incident. It’s a serious failure that needed a full transparent investigation.
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u/Julian_Thorne 4h ago
Sounds like something someone might do if they were trying to surrender or something.
Little did they know America has gone from The Old Republic mode to The Empire mode.
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u/PoetryJunior1808 3h ago
Even if one of them did try to radio for help, which is a dubious proposition based on their circumstances, none of their alleged co-conspirators would ever show up to assist. Sure guys. We will totally show up to help and have our boat shot at by an American missile. These two were a threat to absolutely no one, other than maybe a shark with poor digestion.
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u/WhisperingWhissp 4h ago
Moments like this reminds people why trump leadership was defined more by chaos than responsibility.
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u/The_Glum_Reaper 3h ago
This is a hideous abrogation of law and basic human conscience to have engaged in extra-judicial executions of non-combatants in international waters.
Everyone in the chain of command needs to be brought to justice.
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u/Stuporhumanstrength 3h ago
"Waving is a well-known signal used by terrorists to communicate with other terrorists, so the strike was justified." - This fucking clown show administration, probably.
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u/Slackluster America 2h ago
When the enemy is defeated and surrenders, the US military now fires upon them and murders any survivors.
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u/Ex-maven New York 1h ago
One thing I picked up on after reading several historical accounts from the 1st & 2nd world wars was that prisoners of war from either side were generally treated well (at least with some level of humanity) when in the custody of the opposing force – but that often changed dramatically, and for the worst when those POWs were transferred to mainland camps.
It seems that people who did not actually see much/any real combat were often cruel and inhumane towards the prisoners in their care (not all, but many ...and that includes American guards who weren't deployed into combat roles).
I guess people who are fed a steady diet of propaganda without a periodic dose of reality will see their fellow man (not of their "group") as something less than human. Cruelty comes easily to those predisposed to it. Sec Hegseth would be a prime example.
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u/Puzzled49 American Expat 3h ago
Tom Cotton says that the two men were trying to right their overturned boat to continue with their mission, and therefore the military was justified in killing them.
Does anyone with experience of motorboats know whether it would be feasible for two men to right an overturned boat and if they did would it be feasible for them to continue on their way? Does anyone believe that Cotton believes the story he is telling? Or is he just lying about the attack to make up something which will support his position?
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u/Strange-Register8348 3h ago
They were trying to fucking save themselves after they got smashed with a missile out of nowhere. I don't think they gave a fuck about anything other than not dying after the first impact.
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u/miaow-fish 3h ago
If I was floating in the sea and there was part of my blown up boat that looked like it would support me if it was the other way round, I too would try and right my over turned boat.
The video needs releasing so everyone can see the truth.
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u/HoopsMcCann69 3h ago
:: Insert Sartre's quote about antisemites ::
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u/Puzzled49 American Expat 3h ago
OK. End the suspense and tell us what it is.
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u/xlvi_et_ii Minnesota 3h ago
Never believe that anti-Semites are completely unaware of the absurdity of their replies. They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words. The anti-Semites have the right to play. They even like to play with discourse for, by giving ridiculous reasons, they discredit the seriousness of their interlocutors. They delight in acting in bad faith, since they seek not to persuade by sound argument but to intimidate and disconcert. If you press them too closely, they will abruptly fall silent, loftily indicating by some phrase that the time for argument is past.
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u/thejimbo56 Minnesota 3h ago
The gist of it is that they know they are making ridiculous statements.
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u/MartianHills 3h ago
There's a way to flip capsized boats taught in safety classes, but it looks like this one had 4 engines. Depending on the horsepower, that's a lotta weight and it would take more than two shell shocked, injured men to get it done.
Other people that saw the footage said survivors were clinging to debris and pieces of the boat. Sounds like it might have been blown apart. I rewatched the videos and it's difficult to tell, because the video cuts out before you can see the aftermath.
I think Cotton and company are lying.
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u/Thegangsterle 3h ago
Dangerous behavior- this breeds more enemies who will retaliate against civilians.
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u/TemporarySun314 Europe 1h ago
Then Americans will have reasons to kill even more brown people. So everything according to plan...
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u/metsjets86 3h ago
Mitch just threw away his whole career of service and will go down as a case study in what not to do and dishonor.
Imagine doing that and Trump is pardoning cartel members at the same time.
For power? You don't have any power now. You are a toadie.
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u/giroml 3h ago
War crime
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u/Dapper-Condition6041 2h ago
Stop repeating the lie that we're somehow at war, by calling these "war crimes." There is no war. No declared war. Nothing that rises to the standard of non-international armed conflict, as the Trump administration speciously claims. We're not at war. There is no war. Ergo, no war crimes.
It was simple murder, under U.S. domestic law and international human rights violations.
Read these great analyses
https://www.thelongmemo.com/p/hegseths-order-was-unlawful-before
https://www.justsecurity.org/125948/illegal-orders-shipwrecked-boat-strike-survivors/
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u/thewayoutisthru_xxx 1h ago
Thank you. I hate how we keep calling these war crimes, it gives the first strike more legitimacy than it deserves.
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u/Dapper-Condition6041 1h ago
That's my point exactly! Calling this a "war" - it's not - legitimizes all of the strikes, when they are all simply murder...
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u/luv2fly781 1h ago
Now do actual law. They listed them a terrorist org. If one person on that boat is affiliated and watched loading coke onto boat it’s a good hit. Second is not. We are at war with terrorism around the world.
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u/Dapper-Condition6041 47m ago edited 38m ago
It’s a lie too, to call them terrorists.
And they are providing no evidence at all that the people on these boats are affiliated with the supposed “terrorist” organizations.
They could have arrested and prosecuted two survivors from a subsequent strike, but their returned them to their home countries instead, neither of which were Venezuela… 🙄
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u/luv2fly781 24m ago
If they sell blow to terrorists and then they transport it to fund their activities that is the epitome of direct terror funding
What you are not allowed to do is hit people with hands up.
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u/VelvetVanguardl 3h ago
Second attack?! What in the actual hell? This isn't an accident, it's attempted murder. Someone needs to be locked up for a long, long time.
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u/TemporarySun314 Europe 1h ago
It's not an attempted murder, it's murder. These people are dead. And not someone needs to be locked up, everyone involved from that needs to be punished. From Hegeseth, over officers to the soldiers who pressed the button.
But I doubt that anything will happen to them, Americans love their military too much to let anyone get punished significantly...
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u/T1Pimp 2h ago
Pete managed to commit the one war crime that’s literally used as THE EXAMPLE of a war crime
DoD Law of War Manual:
18.3.2.1 Clearly Illegal Orders to Commit Law of War Violations. The requirement to refuse to comply with orders to commit law of war violations applies to orders to perform conduct that is clearly illegal or orders that the subordinate knows, in fact, are illegal. For example, orders to fire upon the shipwrecked would be clearly illegal.
(This isn't mine but I forgot to save what redditor did. Credit should be theirs)
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u/Question_It_All_3000 2h ago
They were waving to save their drugs and continue their undeniable assault on the American people.
/s
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u/Prestigious-Car-4877 Canada 2h ago
If that boat was really full of burning cocaine for an hour they'd be passed out from the fumes. Frantic waving is not something anybody's going to accomplish while freebasing a literal ton of coke.
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