PNN – U.S. Secretary of Defense, concerned about potential legal repercussions over the attack on boat survivors in the Caribbean, has announced that the full video of the incident will not be released.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network citing ABC News, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the Pentagon does not intend to make the unedited full video of the September 2 military strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat public. The attack, which occurred in the Pacific Ocean, resulted in the deaths of 11 people.
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He explained that the decision is due to the “top-secret” nature of the footage and that releasing it would conflict with longstanding Department of Defense policies. According to Hegseth, the video will only be shared with members of congressional armed services committees and select lawmakers involved in defense budget oversight.
The Defense Secretary’s stance has drawn criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans. Critics argue that, given portions of the edited footage have already circulated on social media, withholding the full video contradicts principles of transparency.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has called for the video to be provided to all members of Congress. The central debate concerns whether the second attack on two boat survivors, about 40 minutes after the initial strike, constitutes a potential war crime.
Democrats maintain that the survivors were incapacitated and should have been rescued, while some Republicans argue they still posed a threat. Meanwhile, the commander who authorized the strike is scheduled to provide further explanations in closed congressional sessions.