Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Admiral Frank M."Mitch" Bradley had issued the order to fire on the vessel a second time

[Shellback Squid]

They are scapegoating an Admiral!! someone else to crucify under the altar of Trump
Fucking disgusting but expected

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/drug-boat-second-strike-white-house-b2875966.html

Following new reporting about the September 2 strike and allegations that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth commanded military personnel to “kill everybody” on board the vessels, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Admiral Frank M. “Mitch” Bradley had issued the order to fire on the vessel in the Caribbean a second time.

Asked to clarify whether Hegseth had ordered the second strike on the boat, Leavitt told reporters that Bradley — not Hegseth — gave the order and stressed that the veteran naval officer was “well within his authority and the law” when he did.

Lyin Leavitt is well versed in maritime law I would guess, just kidding

[MarineCombatEngineer]

1. You can bet your bottom dollar that this Admiral wouldn't have ordered the 2nd strike

w/o Kegsbreath approval.
This Admiral could have refused such an illegal order, but he didn't and he needs to stand trial before a Courts Martial.

Supposedly there's an audio recording of Kegsbreath giving approval for the 2nd missile strike, if so, then this audio needs to be leaked to the American people and the people of the world.

[angrychair]

14. Exactly

Plus he would have been operating under specific rules of engagement and any significant deviation would require approval from people over the Admiral...like SouthCom commander or above I would assume (given he is a fleet commander).

Plus, like you said, there is a recording of the drunk twitch streamer Kegseth actually saying it in pretty derogatory terms.

[ananda]

16. If there was an audio, I would bet money it no longer exists.

But what do I know.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

22. I don't know,

but I would think someone would want to cover their ass and given the tendency of this regime to throw anyone under the bus to protect Pedonald, it won't be a surprise to me if this audio recording, if it exists, is leaked by whoever is looking for cover.

I think we're going to find out pretty soon.

[Raven123]

30. I agree. Assume nothing.

[ananda]

49. How many Ellsberg's have we had so far?

Just sayin...

[orangecrush]

50. Affirm.

[Kablooie]

24. It was the admiral imitating Hegseth.

So he wouldn’t be blamed if word got out this happened.

[Irish_Dem]

33. Trump will tell the Admiral to keep his mouth shut or lose his rank and pension.

And face a court marital.

Admiral keeps his mouth shut?
And takes the blame?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

36. That's a possibility,

but, IMHO, the dam of fear towards Pedonald is breaking, the last couple of months have been very telling by how repigs in Congress are starting to openly defy him, and now a bipartisan investigation on this murder of 2 individuals while clinging on to the wreckage of a boat that the US blew apart, both in the House and the Senate and they sound very serious about this.

The next few days/weeks are going to be very interesting to say the least.

[Irish_Dem]

45. Yes but congress won't lose rank and pension.

And they have top of the line security guards.

Generals have security guards, yes.
But they won't want to face court martial and loss of retirement, healthcare, rank, etc.

Maybe if all the joint chiefs align and speak out, that way Trump has to take on all of them
at one time. Which will look bad. I hope to god they don't let this admiral swing in the breeze,

Yep it is going to be quite interesting to see how this unfolds.

[Irish_Dem]

46. This whole thing about the fisherman clinging to the wreckage and being killed is pushing my buttons.

I have mentioned my USN uncle during Battle of Guadalcanal WWII was on a ship that was
sunk by Kamikaze pilots. USS Meredith.

Some of the sailors were killed right away, others clinging to wreckage and died that way,
eaten by sharks. Or killed by the enemy.

It has always bothered me that he might have been clinging to wreckage still alive.
And then suffered some more and killed the hard way.

I don't know why it has always bothered me. My brother reassures me Uncle was killed outright, right away.
Never got to the part where he was floating around in the water.

But he told me not to read the book written about all of it.

Now I keep seeing those poor fishermen in the water like my uncle.

I didn't even serve a day in combat and the orange F wad is giving me GD PTSD.

What the H is he doing to people who served in combat.
Raising all kinds of PTSD.

[duckworth969]

53. Good call

[Irish_Dem]

54. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.

This is how Trump rolls. Throw everyone under the bus and threaten them to take the heat for him.

[thought crime]

62. Hegseth "authorized it", and the Admiral ordered it, accordingly.

And Hegseth is nothing but a Yes Man for Trump.

[popsdenver]

64. Did you catch the recent DU

article, this aftrernoon, that the Pentagon stated at their news conference that ANY/ALL strikes are ordered by Trump and Hegseth???? And that this one definitely was, as was the follow up???????

[MarineCombatEngineer]

65. Yep.

Sounds like the Pentagon has had it with the lies out of Pedonald's and Kegsbreath's pie holes and are now pushing back.
Hopefully this will now make it easier to disobey any clearly illegal orders, like military strikes on Ven. and other countries.

[popsdenver]

67. the situation in Venezuela

frightens me the most right now.......The U.S. declaring war on a sovereign nation, for no REAL reason, except Trump's wet dream and wanting a major distraction to Epstein and all his corrupt tariff's??????

A lot like Reagan, (actually HWBush) did in Panama......we in the U.S. never got the real story on what the U.S. Military did down there during their invasion.......Every other country reported what really happened, and an academy award winning documentary was made by a European Nation showing video proof and evidence of the U.S. Atrocities done in Panama. Conveniently the video was banned in the U.S.
The whole reason was ludicrous, our CIA actually put Noriega in power, and the staged the war as a diversion from something bad being reported about Reagan/HW

[Turbineguy]

2. Department of Defense 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.27 Similarly, orders to kill defenseless persons who have submitted to and are under effective physical control would also be clearly illegal.28 On the other hand, the duty not to comply with orders that are clearly illegal would be limited in its application when the subordinate is not competent to evaluate
whether the rule has been violated. 29

Subordinates are not required to screen the orders of superiors for questionable points of legality, and may, absent specific knowledge to the contrary, presume that orders have been lawfully issued.30

[Wiz Imp]

6. methinks Leavitt, Hegseth & Trump are playing a semantics game.

Leavitt told reporters that Bradley — not Hegseth — gave the order

So Bradley ordered the people who actually carried out the strike to do so. But Hegseth almost certainly gave the order to Bradley first.

So Hegseth didn't directly order the people who carried out the strike to do so (nor would anyone expect that he did). However, if he ordered the Admiral to give the order, then he is ultimately still responsible. I'd be willing to bet that is what happened here.

[popsdenver]

15. Regardless,

my opinion of the U.S. Special Warfare Navy Seals has dropped into the crapper.

The execution of unlawful orders in a foreign nation, in international waters, is just a teeny weeny baby step away from our Military given unlawful orders by Trump and Heggy here in our own nation..........

Countless things have been allowed to "just slide" for over four decades, and counting.

"They" walked down the jungle path, swatting at mosquitoes, and were oblivious to the herd of charging elephants."

[Autumn]

56. The general knew that. Right?

[Turbineguy]

59. Well, the book is 1236 pages....

Nothing like a situation where you need a quick answer. "Here, read this 1236 page book!"

There would be some irony if these clowns tumbled because they murdered dope dealers. Dope dealers being the second lowest form of life.

[popsdenver]

66. Obviously

After Cheney/Rumsfeld threw out the rules and regs re: treatment of POW's in IRAQ, including torture, I can't believe Trump/Republicans won't use all that they did as a legal justification and precedent to commit any atrocities they want....

[Torchlight]

3. If she says it, I automatically discount it as another lie

She once asserted more waste currently exists in Social Security than the entire annual U.S. budget. Her assertions are suspect and meritless.

[librechik]

4. ditto times infinity n/t

[yardwork]

5. This is why it's best to refuse unlawful orders.

[bluestarone]

7. I'm just waiting for the word that

TSF ordered it! Then everybody is thinking that will clear them. BUT it won't until the pardon comes. I WANT a trial no matter what TSF does. Hopefully TSF cannot pre pardon. THAT will be the next thing this Supreme court will give him!

[kacekwl]

8. Let's bring the Admiral to

testify under oath ASAP. Have MP's standing by to arrest him if need be. Or not send to Hogsbreath office.

[malaise]

9. The It wasn't me defense

OK then

[Prairie Gates]

10. We're fast approaching a "You're goddamn right I did!" moment from Hegseth

[odins folly]

18. The funny thing about that

Well no really funny.

Most fist pumpers think the Col was in the right not realizing he had ordered the murder if a fellow serviceman.

Just like the yuppies thought Gordon Geko was a good guy

[MustLoveBeagles]

25. This

[Shipwack]

29. It bothers me that...

I love that speech. I love Nicholson’s delivery.

Then I remember that this is the justification of the movie’s villain. While the speech is rousing, it’s wrong.

We should question how our “freedom” is secured and maintained. To do otherwise justifies anything the military does, as long as they trot out the flag and apple pie.

[clevergrrrl]

11. Ladies and gentlemen

meet the Fall Guy!

[LudwigPastorius]

12. _

[MustLoveBeagles]

27. Hegseth meet bus

[popsdenver]

13. Seems there was a German U-boat commander

in world war two, that sunk a ship. He surfaced and circled the ship for five hours, ordering all his men to shoot ALL the un-armed surviving crew clutching to their life preservers.

If I am not mistaken, he was later tried by the international courts, and received the death penalty?????

[thought crime]

63. It's ironic, too.

Early in the war there was an incident (the Laconia incident) where a U-boat sank a British passenger ship and immediately commenced rescue operations and radioed other U boats to help. A US B-24 observed the rescue effort but was ordered to attack the U boats. After the incident, the German Navy issued an order to all U boat commanders forbidding any further attempts to rescue survivors and for the remainder of the war submarine warfare was unrestricted.

[Grins]

17. THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL HE DID.

You mean to tell me the damn CHIEF of Naval Operations in Washington was directing the fire on a boat in the Caribbean?

If he did, he and the CO of that ship should be court martialed.

[paleotn]

23. Not likely.

[twodogsbarking]

19. Is this what Jesus would do? Jesus.

[Skittles]

44. the "pro-life Christian" folk

[Easterncedar]

20. Dammit. The first strike was illegal

Screw this noise. Try them all

[LymphocyteLover]

21. yeah but this second strike is easier to prove as a war crime

[mr715]

37. It is a grotesque analogy

but its the Nagasaki effect.

[LymphocyteLover]

55. Hmm, haven't heard of that. What is that effect?

[mr715]

60. Atomic war crimes

I think there is some legitimate differing opinions on the efficacy of the bombing of Hiroshima -- the second bombing, however, becomes impossible to justify.

[LymphocyteLover]

61. oh yes, I've heard that argument... makes sense

[Easterncedar]

41. Extrajudicial killing is wrong

Hell. Killing is wrong. I’m no Christian, but I still know it’s wrong.

[MissouriDem47]

26. Someone is going to pay the price or this.

I don't know who or how but it's going to be somebody, somewhere, some how.

[Buddyzbuddy]

28. Admiral Bradley: witness for the prosecution.

Buhbye Kegsbreath

[mr715]

31. This is their story

But it was Hegseth. He pushed the button with his tiny little dick.

[Irish_Dem]

32. In Russia, lower ranks always take the blame for higher ranks.

Just the way the game is played there.

Looks like US will follow suit.

[mr715]

38. In the US, lower ranks often take the blame for higher ranks.

The more power a person has, the less accountability they have and the more diffuse the nature of their oversight.

I have no military experience, which you are referring, but as a teacher I knew who would take the blame if the principal got yelled at. Shit rolls down hill, and the rank and file get to wade in it.

[Irish_Dem]

42. Yep. The way the world works.

The crap rolls down hill.

[sop]

34. Shouldn't Trump have a gold-plated sign with the phrase "The Buck Stops Here" on the Resolute desk in the Oval Office?

[Traildogbob]

35. Anybody else

Notice the canker on her upper lip during the lie session? She has been working overtime to please her master. Her endless lying is not getting it done, Massa needed a little sweetener.

[bronxiteforever]

39. So many questions. Clearly lots of interviews are needed.

This comes under congressional review. The American people won’t trust the government here until the entire facts are known. Also the American people want no part of an invasion of Venezuela.

[Trueblue Texan]

40. What drives me crazy about this...

Even if the two survivors had been rescued and imprisoned instead of murdered in cold blood, it wouldn't change the fact that the Trump regime is a bunch of f*ing murderers! They destroyed that vessel instead of boarding it and denied the passengers and crew due process. That's murder. Calling the attack an act of war merely changes the crime to a war crime. They're still murderers, no matter which way you spin it.

[Zelda_Orchid]

43. .

[Blumancru]

47. The military, when faced with an eff up, will sacrifice the lowest ranked person who will appease the gods.

I have seen this movie before.
Sometimes a colonel (Navy Captain) will suffice. For a smaller eff up, a Captain (Navy Lt) will work. For a really small one, maybe a new 2nd Lt (Navy Ensign). I once saw a Navy Lt. relieved for inability to light the boiler on an aircraft carrier. I don’t recall why that could not be done but this affected combat readiness, a very serious issue.
In this case, it is pretty bad, a war crime or outright murder, and very high profile. They are trying an Admiral on for size. If that doesn’t make the problem go away, they may work their way up to Kegsbreath. If they have a recording of him ordering the survivors ro be killed, he may be thrown into the volcano. He is getting more attention than you know who, so he may be up for replacing him.
We could have George Santos as Secretary of War. I think he is still out of a job. Maybe Ivanka. She is about as qualified as Kegsbreath.

[Emile]

48. As soon as Democrats regain control of Congress

this SOB needs to be brought before Congress,

[kwolf68]

51. No words for this

Simply incredible what our nation voted for, what our nation has become. Perhaps having the mask off will wake up this nation. We can't become this.

[RockRaven]

52. That is plainly illegal, and German navy war criminals were executed after WWII

for doing exactly that. Killing shipwreck survivors is literally the US's textbook example of illegal orders that US personnel are required to disobey.

Do not buy their shifting explanations of who did what and why -- that is all lies and spin after they got caught committing war crimes/murder.

[Autumn]

57. Bradley knew the order was illegal and he gave the order to fire the second time?

Sounds like he fucked himself.

[dalton99a]

58. The scapegoat:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_M._Bradley