US Military Admits to Killing Innocent Civilians in Caribbean and Pacific Operations
The Trump administration has been secretly waging a war against suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, killing over 60 civilians in the process. But what's even more disturbing is that the US military doesn't know who exactly it's killing.
In separate briefings provided to lawmakers and staffers on Thursday, Pentagon officials acknowledged that they cannot identify the victims of their strikes, citing a lack of evidence to link them to the suspected cartels. The US military deems survivors of these attacks as "unprivileged belligerents," a term used to designate members of non-state armed groups in non-international armed conflicts.
This raises serious questions about the administration's assertion that it is engaged in a legitimate war against terrorist organizations. According to Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., "We are not in an armed conflict with these cartels. And so this is just murder." The Pentagon officials also admitted that they don't need to positively identify individuals on the vessels to conduct strikes, as long as they can show a connection to a designated terrorist organization.
The lack of transparency and accountability from the Trump administration has sparked outrage among lawmakers and experts. "I found their justification for what they're doing so flimsy that it makes the case for the Iraq War look like a slam dunk," said Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.
The Pentagon's use of this designation is also being criticized by experts, who argue that it is not supported by international law. "The problem with DoD calling cartels 'unprivileged belligerents' is that the U.S. is not actually in a non-international armed conflict — a legal term of art that, to be applicable, requires specific facts that just aren't the current reality," said Sarah Harrison.
The administration's handling of this issue has been described as "authoritarian" and "reckless" by some lawmakers. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia called out the Trump administration for conducting a secret briefing on the legal rationale for the strikes without involving Democrats, saying it was "indefensible and dangerous."
As The Intercept noted, "This partisan stunt is a slap in the face to Congress' war powers responsibilities and to the men and women who serve this country. It also sets a reckless and deeply troubling precedent."
The Trump administration has been secretly waging a war against suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, killing over 60 civilians in the process. But what's even more disturbing is that the US military doesn't know who exactly it's killing.
In separate briefings provided to lawmakers and staffers on Thursday, Pentagon officials acknowledged that they cannot identify the victims of their strikes, citing a lack of evidence to link them to the suspected cartels. The US military deems survivors of these attacks as "unprivileged belligerents," a term used to designate members of non-state armed groups in non-international armed conflicts.
This raises serious questions about the administration's assertion that it is engaged in a legitimate war against terrorist organizations. According to Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., "We are not in an armed conflict with these cartels. And so this is just murder." The Pentagon officials also admitted that they don't need to positively identify individuals on the vessels to conduct strikes, as long as they can show a connection to a designated terrorist organization.
The lack of transparency and accountability from the Trump administration has sparked outrage among lawmakers and experts. "I found their justification for what they're doing so flimsy that it makes the case for the Iraq War look like a slam dunk," said Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.
The Pentagon's use of this designation is also being criticized by experts, who argue that it is not supported by international law. "The problem with DoD calling cartels 'unprivileged belligerents' is that the U.S. is not actually in a non-international armed conflict — a legal term of art that, to be applicable, requires specific facts that just aren't the current reality," said Sarah Harrison.
The administration's handling of this issue has been described as "authoritarian" and "reckless" by some lawmakers. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia called out the Trump administration for conducting a secret briefing on the legal rationale for the strikes without involving Democrats, saying it was "indefensible and dangerous."
As The Intercept noted, "This partisan stunt is a slap in the face to Congress' war powers responsibilities and to the men and women who serve this country. It also sets a reckless and deeply troubling precedent."
... can't believe our gov't is basically saying it's okay to kill civilians without even knowing they're not part of the bad guys 
. like, what's next? are we gonna start dropping bombs on innocent tourists just 'cause? 
this whole thing just reeks of authoritarianism and a total disregard for human life 
. I mean, I get that the cartels can be scum, but come on! doesn't anyone care about accountability or transparency? 
not to mention the fact that we're basically creating a new definition of war that's being used to justify...wait for it...murder 
. and the worst part is, our gov't is just gonna keep doing this behind closed doors without even bothering to tell Congress 
. I mean, what kind of 'leadership' does that? 
. We need more transparency and accountability from our government, you know? It's like, we elect them to make decisions for us, but sometimes it feels like they're making stuff up as they go along 
. And the part about not needing to positively identify individuals on the vessels to conduct strikes is just crazy talk 
. I mean, what's next? Is that how we determine who lives and dies in wars now? It's like, hello, basic human rights are at stake here 
. We need to hold our government accountable for this stuff, you know? 
that's not how war works, folks! 
and btw, what even is this "unprivileged belligerent" thing? sounds like a made-up excuse to me 
need to hold those in power accountable for their actions 
60 civilians is a huge number, it's like, how can we just say that's okay? 
I don't know about the whole "unprivileged belligerents" thing, but from where I'm sitting, it sounds like a total cop-out. 
We need more transparency and accountability from our leaders, not less! 
. it's a total lack of accountability. I mean, what's next? 
. And labeling them as "unprivileged belligerents" is basically just a fancy way of saying "we don't want to tell you what we're really doing". 
. And the fact that the Pentagon doesn't need to positively identify individuals just because of some dodgy connection to a terrorist organization? That's just a big ol' excuse for bad policy 
. Mark Warner is right, this whole thing is an indefensible and dangerous move. We need to get some real transparency and accountability going on here 
.
this is some serious Orwellian stuff
. it's like, okay sure you can just call them whatever you want but that doesn't make it right, you know? 
i mean rep sarah jacobs said it was basically murder and now sen mark warner is all "indefensible and dangerous" 
and now we gotta worry about our own gov using this kind of language to get away with stuff? 
. The fact that they're calling these people "unprivileged belligerents" is JUST A BUNCH OF LIES, plain and simple 
.
. The Pentagon's justifying their actions is SO FLIMSY, it makes the case for the Iraq War look like a joke 
?! This is a clear example of authoritarianism and recklessness, and Sen Mark Warner was RIGHT TO CALL OUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR THIS 
. We need to hold them accountable for their actions, and we need to make sure that our military is NOT BEING USED AS A TOOL OF TERRORISM 
.
but at the same time, i guess the whole "unprivileged belligerents" thing is pretty murky and experts have a point about it being unsupported by international law 
. the fact that they can't identify the victims is like, what kind of operation are we talking about here? it's just so concerning for anyone who cares about human rights and accountability