We discuss a disturbing new allegation: did Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth commit a war crime when he allegedly ordered a second strike on a small boat in the Caribbean during a U.S. military operation?
Reports suggest that after the initial strike, the boat and its crew may no longer have posed an immediate threat (if it even did in the first place) — and that a second strike could fall outside the bounds of lawful military force. But what actually counts as a war crime? And how would an incident like this be assessed under U.S. military rules of engagement and international law?
To help us break this down with accuracy and expertise, we’re joined by Georgetown professor and global security scholar Dr. Nola Haynes.
She walks us through:
What the laws of armed conflict say about follow-on strikes
The legal thresholds for proportionality, necessity, and distinction
How investigations into incidents like this typically unfold
Why Hegseth could end up in jail over this