Killings in the Caribbean Video emerges - US Secretary of Defense stumbles over previous statements
Criticism of US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth continues after it became public that his forces killed two castaways in a second strike. Now he stumbles across a video from 2016.
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- The debate over the legality of a US second strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean continues.
- Pete Hegseth pours fuel on the fire with a picture on "X" in which a child figure shoots at drug boats with a bazooka.
- The first conservative commentators and politicians distance themselves from the defense minister.
- A video from 2016 shows Hegseth himself talking about how illegal orders should be refused - even if they come from the president.
It is the final days of the Second World War: Irishman Murphy is a sailor on board the Mount Kyle when a German U-boat sinks the freighter off the South American coast. The survivors take the Nazis under fire with a machine gun: only Murphy survives.
The scene is not real, but comes from the 1971 film "Murphy's War" starring Peter O'Toole. But of course such incidents did occur during the Second World War. For example, U-852 sinks the SS Peleus in the South Atlantic on March 13, 1944 - and Lieutenant Captain Heinz-Wilhelm Eck orders his crew to shoot at the survivors.
This is a clear war crime for which the German submarine captain must answer: He and two other officers are shot for this act in his home town of Hamburg on November 30, 1945, after the British put the trio on trial.
Child figure with bazooka: Hegseth provokes
80 years later, it is once again about shipwrecked people who have been killed: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth allegedly ordered a second strike that killed two survivors. Previously, a suspected drug boat had been hit by a missile. The Republican is increasingly caught in the crossfire over the affair.
While experts argue about whether the attacks in international waters are legitimate, murder or a war crime, Hegseth himself pours fuel on the fire: the 45-year-old posts a manipulated image of the Canadian cartoon character Franklin on "X", in which the turtle shoots at drug boats from a helicopter. "For your Christmas wish list", it says.
The publisher of Franklin is horrified: The character stands "for kindness, empathy and inclusivity". "We strongly condemn any disparaging, violent or unauthorized use of Franklin's name or image that directly contradicts these values," Kids Can Press wrote in response to Hegseth's post.
Conservatives move away from Hegseth
This behavior and the growing discussion about the liquidations in the Caribbean are now also prompting critics on the right. "The charge of deliberately killing the defenseless is serious enough to warrant scrutiny by Congress," comments the conservative Wall Street Journal."That includes requiring Mr. Hegseth to give an account under oath."
Former judge, lecturer and author Andrew Napolitano, who once worked with Hegseth on "Fox News", does not hold back on the right-wing channel "Newsmax" either: "This is a war crime when survivors who should be saved under the law are murdered. There is absolutely no legal basis for this."
The lawyer emphasizes that the entire chain of command should be held accountable. Hegseth himself writes quite publicly on "X" that Admiral Frank Bradley gave the order for the deadly second strike - while at the same time backing him up. The "New York Times" adds that Bradley ordered the strike because one of the survivors called for help by radio.
Democrats strongly criticized by Hegseth
The discussion about the chain of command and the legality of the attacks is grist to the mill of the six Democrats who recently caused a stir with a video: In it, they remind security services and the military that they do not have to follow illegal orders. Alongside his party colleagues, Pete Hegseth has also sharply criticized the video.
It is "despicable, reckless and wrong": "Encouraging our warriors to ignore the orders of their commanders undermines every aspect of 'good order and discipline'. Their foolish statements sow doubt and confusion - which only puts our warriors at risk," the 45-year-old writes on "X" - and also attacks Senator Mark Kelly personally.
A video from 2016 has now emerged in the midst of all this that makes the minister look old: In it, Pete Hegseth talks about how soldiers should not follow illegal orders - even if they come from the president. "There must be consequences for despicable war crimes," Hegseth also says.
And what does Trump say? He is still standing behind his Secretary of Defense, but it cannot be ruled out that the matter will have consequences for him too.
