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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Joseph Gedeon and agencies

Trump administration is ‘selling out’ admiral to shield Hegseth over boat strikes, officials say

View from inside a US Marine aircraft of a navy vessel in the Caribbean Sea
US marines training in the Caribbean Sea. Democrats and Republicans have voiced concerns over the legality of the 2 September attack in the region. Photograph: Staff Sgt Brett Norman/US Marine Corops/AFP/Getty

The Pentagon on Tuesday scapegoated a navy admiral for the extrajudicial double-tap strike that killed survivors of a 2 September attack on an alleged drug boat and vowed to continue operations, even as lawmakers investigate whether the attack constituted a war crime.

At a Pentagon briefing on Tuesday, Kingsley Wilson, the Pentagon press secretary said that the decision to re-strike the “narco terrorist vessel” was made by Adm Frank M Bradley, “operating under clear and long standing authorities to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States was eliminated”. Wilson added that Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon secretary, “stands behind Admiral Bradley, 100%”.

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