US Airstrike Survivors Were Left to Cling to Wreckage Before Second Deadly Attack, Video Reveals
Two men who survived a US airstrike on a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean were left clinging to the wreckage for an hour before they were killed in a second attack, according to a disturbing video that was shown to senators in Washington.
The survivors, shirtless and unarmed, had no visible radio or communications equipment and appeared to be unaware of what had just hit them. Despite their desperate attempts to turn the severed section of the hull upright, they could not escape the second deadly strike.
The video, which has sparked outrage among lawmakers and human rights experts, shows the survivors trying to flip the boat back over in a futile effort to stay alive. The Pentagon had initially announced that the attack was a "lethal kinetic strike" aimed at a vessel carrying illicit narcotics, but critics argue that it was an unlawful attack on unarmed survivors.
The US military has defended the strikes as legal under the rules of war, but most legal experts reject this argument, citing international humanitarian law that prohibits attacks on combatants who are incapacitated or shipwrecked. The Trump administration's framing of the US as being at war with drug traffickers has also been widely criticized.
As the debate over the legality of the strikes continues, lawmakers are grappling with the consequences of these actions. Some have called for greater transparency and accountability, while others have defended the strikes as necessary to combat narco-trafficking.
The US airstrike campaign in the Caribbean has taken a devastating toll, with at least 87 people killed so far. The Pentagon has announced another deadly strike on a boat suspected of carrying illegal narcotics, further fueling concerns about the use of military force against unarmed survivors.
Two men who survived a US airstrike on a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean were left clinging to the wreckage for an hour before they were killed in a second attack, according to a disturbing video that was shown to senators in Washington.
The survivors, shirtless and unarmed, had no visible radio or communications equipment and appeared to be unaware of what had just hit them. Despite their desperate attempts to turn the severed section of the hull upright, they could not escape the second deadly strike.
The video, which has sparked outrage among lawmakers and human rights experts, shows the survivors trying to flip the boat back over in a futile effort to stay alive. The Pentagon had initially announced that the attack was a "lethal kinetic strike" aimed at a vessel carrying illicit narcotics, but critics argue that it was an unlawful attack on unarmed survivors.
The US military has defended the strikes as legal under the rules of war, but most legal experts reject this argument, citing international humanitarian law that prohibits attacks on combatants who are incapacitated or shipwrecked. The Trump administration's framing of the US as being at war with drug traffickers has also been widely criticized.
As the debate over the legality of the strikes continues, lawmakers are grappling with the consequences of these actions. Some have called for greater transparency and accountability, while others have defended the strikes as necessary to combat narco-trafficking.
The US airstrike campaign in the Caribbean has taken a devastating toll, with at least 87 people killed so far. The Pentagon has announced another deadly strike on a boat suspected of carrying illegal narcotics, further fueling concerns about the use of military force against unarmed survivors.
they left these two dudes clingin to the wreckage for an hour after that airstrike and then BAM! second attack n they're dead 
like what kinda military even does that?! i'm literally shaking just watchin this video... those poor dudes were so helpless 
and btw how r they supposed 2 communicate w/ anyone when there's no radio? i'm all for fightin narco-traffickin but not at the expense of human lives 
They're just trying to survive and the US hits them again?! 
It's like they were just random bystanders in a war zone or something... I mean, who tries to attack unarmed survivors? That's just not right. And another thing, why did it take so long for the Pentagon to admit that the original strike was an accident? 
An hour is way too long for people to be clinging to wreckage without anyone doing anything about it... and then they get killed in a second attack?! 
It's like they're just disposable or something. 
This is just heartbreaking what those two guys went through after getting hit by that airstrike. I mean, they're just trying to stay alive, right? They don't even have a radio or any way to call for help. And then this second attack comes and it's just... ugh. It's not fair at all.
This is just horrific. I mean, can you imagine being left to cling to wreckage for an hour before getting hit again? It's like they were just sitting ducks. And what really gets me is that these guys weren't even a threat - they were shirtless and unarmed. 
its like, what's going on? how can the military not see these people as human beings who deserve help and protection?
it's not that simple... we gotta think about the consequences of our actions and make sure we're not harming innocent ppl. I'm so sad for those families who lost loved ones in these airstrikes 
. Like, what's the US gonna do, just keep bombing countries until they 'get it right'? Newsflash: there ain't no one-size-fits-all solution to narco-trafficking. We gotta stop playing judge, jury and executioner, man 
.
. The Pentagon's like, "oh yeah, we had to do that"? Where's the oversight? Who signed off on this mess? We're supposed to trust that these folks are above all moral code and just doing what's best for us... newsflash: they ain't 
.
what if there was another guy on the boat who wasn't visible? did we kill him too? 
they had no idea what hit them and were trying to save themselves but it was too late...the second strike was basically an execution 
it's like they forgot that there are humans involved in all this 
! Survivors left to cling to wreckage for an hour before getting whacked again? That's just sick 
... needs more accountability