The illegal and immoral killing of people in small boats without a trial is itself criminal and anti-American. What our country is doing is egregiously violating not only the values of America, but the values of the entire civilized world. Even so, the attention has now shifted from the outright killing of all those aboard several boats to the killing of two survivors of the attacked boat on September 2 of this year. That form of violation, killing of defenseless people and survivors, is cited in the Pentagon’s Law of War manual.
There can be little, if any doubt, that Hegseth ordered the killing of the two men by issuing the command to “kill everybody.” Even in times of war, which this is not, there are international rules of engagement. When my father was drafted into the Russian army during WWII, he was instructed not to fire on enemy pilots or their crew while they were parachuting to safety and helpless in the sky.
Hegseth is a murderer, and we can only hope that when the Trump regime comes to an end, he will be tried and prosecuted for war crimes and sentenced to decades in Federal prison. Yet, there is a lot more blame to go around. If Admiral Mitch Bradley was the one responsible for issuing the final attack orders on any of the boats or on the two survivors, whether following orders or giving his own, he is also a war criminal and should not escape a war crimes tribunal. Disobeying military orders is a serious offense. It is a lot to ask of someone who has spent his life in the service of his country, knowing the severe consequences, court martial, prison sentence, loosing his pension, but murder cannot be condoned.
“Following orders” is no defense against criminal behavior. This judgment was clarified at the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal during the prosecution of Nazi war criminals following WWII by an international commission of prosecutors. The war crimes cited were based on human rights violations of private individuals who were tortured, falsely imprisoned, and ultimately deprived of life. According to that judgment, Admiral Bradley is guilty of at least one war crime, and probably more in sinking non-combatant civilian boats. In my opinion, Hegseth, Admiral Bradley, and Trump, the commander in chief, must be held accountable.
