Has the US committed war crimes in the Caribbean?
CBS News reported on Saturday that a video recently shown to members of Congress shows two survivors of a US raid on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean waving their hands before being killed in a second attack, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
The US media outlet quoted one of the sources as saying that the action could be interpreted as survivors of the first attack either asking for help or trying to prevent another attack.
The September 2nd raid was the first of more than 20 raids by the Trump administration on suspected drug vessels in recent months, CBS reported. Washington says the campaign is necessary to crack down on drug trafficking, but critics say it is legally unjustifiable.
The military said more than 80 people were killed in the attacks, 11 of them in the Sept. 2 attacks.
The operation has been under scrutiny since last week, when a report emerged that the U.S. military had carried out another strike on the vessel, killing two survivors of the initial attack.
Some Democrats and legal experts have argued that the strike to kill survivors of the sinking vessel could amount to a war crime.
White House spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt confirmed that the second strike took place, but argued that it was legal and was intended to “ensure the destruction of the boat.”