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‘We Intended the Strike to Be Lethal’ Is Not a Defense
National Review ^ | By Andrew C. McCarthy

Posted on 11/30/2025 6:35:06 PM PST by RandFan

An explosive Washington Post report, the subject of so much discussion the past two days, says that, in the first missile strike the Trump Defense Department carried out against operatives of a boat suspected of transporting narcotics on the high seas off Venezuela, two survivors were rendered shipwrecked. As they clung to the wreckage, the U.S. commander ordered a second strike, which killed them.

If this happened as described in the Post report, it was, at best, a war crime under federal law. I say “at best” because, as regular readers know, I believe the attacks on these suspected drug boats — without congressional authorization, under circumstances in which the boat operators pose no military threat to the United States, and given that narcotics trafficking is defined in federal law as a crime rather than as terrorist activity, much less an act of war — are lawless and therefore that the killings are not legitimate under the law or armed conflict. (See my Saturday column, with links to prior posts on this subject.)

Nevertheless, even if we stipulate arguendo that the administration has a colorable claim that our forces are in an armed conflict with non-state actors (i.e., suspected members of drug cartels that the administration has dubiously designated as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs)), the laws of war do not permit the killing of combatants who have been rendered hors de combat (out of the fighting) — including by shipwreck.

To reiterate, I don’t accept that the ship operators are enemy combatants — even if one overlooks that the administration has not proven that they are drug traffickers or members of designated FTOs. There is no armed conflict. They may be criminals (if it is proven that they are importing illegal narcotics), but they are not combatants.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Conspiracy
KEYWORDS: 123oclock4oclockzot; andrewcmccarthy; andrewmccarthy; boats; cartelhemplobby; cartelsenator; clickbait; commiefan; commietroll; concerntroll; concerntrolling; crime; druglovers; drugs; fakefreepers; followthemoney; freetraitors; frtraitorslist; hemplobby; ibtz; madurofan; military; nationalreview; nazireview; nevertrumpers; nevertrumpingtrolls; paywall; randpaulisatraitor; randstands4maduro; rinosedition; rinotreason; smuggling; tds; venezuela; venezuelafan; washingtoncompost; whyishestillhere; zot

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Told you

It's a war crime. Even National Review says it out loud

1 posted on 11/30/2025 6:35:06 PM PST by RandFan
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To: RandFan

Has Venezuela claimed it was a war crime? At first, Maduro denied it even happened. These watercrafts are obviously not part of the Venezuelan military, and it’s not like bear attacks upon Venezuelan land.


2 posted on 11/30/2025 6:39:55 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: RandFan

Don’t bring drugs into my country, and you won’t get blown out of the water

It’s a real simple thing


3 posted on 11/30/2025 6:41:05 PM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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To: RandFan

Just become a Democtat already, left wing aiding loser.


4 posted on 11/30/2025 6:42:16 PM PST by cowboyusa ( YESHUA IS KING OF AMERICA AND HE WwILL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE HIM!)
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To: RandFan

More Rumor....When an individual SAYS and SWEARS it’s the truth, then we can talk.


5 posted on 11/30/2025 6:43:17 PM PST by BereanBrain
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To: cowboyusa

National Review is Democrat?


6 posted on 11/30/2025 6:43:29 PM PST by RandFan
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To: RandFan

Andy can’t even name the agency correctly - it’s the War Department.


7 posted on 11/30/2025 6:45:55 PM PST by FirstFlaBn
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To: RandFan

It at war with a recognized nation. This is a demonic drug cartel. Demons must die. Demons cannot be allowed to go free and walk the earth destroying civilization. Pretty simple. Go f the sheep you and your muhammideen buddies at The NY Times and pass around.


8 posted on 11/30/2025 6:46:12 PM PST by CircleCityHamburgerMan (Between grace and mercy, there is no doubt mercy has been the greatest gift I've received.)
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To: RandFan
Told you. It's a war crime. Even National Review says it out loud.

Morally, I personally don't have a problem with this. I view these guys as more morally culpable than opposing soldiers in a war.

That being said, it may well be illegal under U.S. laws and/or treaties to which we are a signatory.

9 posted on 11/30/2025 6:47:15 PM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin
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To: RandFan
I don’t accept that the ship operators are enemy combatants

Ok, well, you are one of 350-some-odd million in the country. You're entitled to your opinion, but it doesn't mean more or less than mine.

I, for one, say kill them all, and burn their drug business down.

10 posted on 11/30/2025 6:47:23 PM PST by grobdriver (The CDC can KMA!)
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To: RandFan

That fentynal was designed to be lethal as well.


11 posted on 11/30/2025 6:48:45 PM PST by KC_Conspirator
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To: RandFan

It’s a “war crime” if we say it is.

Not opposed to getting Russia out of our back yard in Venezuela. China has already vacated Panama.

The drug issue is real, BUT this isn’t going to matter in the sum of all factors. If it matters, I bet it’s more government BS statistics or at best a temporary vacuum to be filled in short order.

Drugs: Easy to make, lots of demand, extremely profitable.

How about I give you some chop sticks and send you out on a rainy day to catch the rain. Makes about so much sense.


12 posted on 11/30/2025 6:50:36 PM PST by Red6
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To: RandFan

Ya, they’re all just innocent fisherman bopping along at 80 mph in a non-fishing boat with multi-thousand dollar high speed screws in the back. Can you imagine what the democrats would do with those two guys if we captured them and brought them to the U.S.?


13 posted on 11/30/2025 6:51:34 PM PST by NurdlyPeon (It is the nature of liberals to pervert whatever they touch.)
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To: RandFan

Vaporize drug smugglers. We should be burning their villas by now.


14 posted on 11/30/2025 6:51:53 PM PST by mmichaels1970 ( )
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To: RandFan

A getaway driver in front of a bank is innocent when his friends jump into the car after the robbery. FER SURE!


15 posted on 11/30/2025 6:52:16 PM PST by Mark (DONATE ONCE every 3 months-is that a big deal?)
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To: RandFan

When Obama had ‘cards’ - kill cards - that he used to choose who was going to die... No one. Not one CIA goon thought they would have to wait until confirmation ...

This is more ‘color revolution’ crapola.


16 posted on 11/30/2025 6:52:40 PM PST by GOPJ (Soros & democrats back criminals, dope dealers, illegals & terrorists. <P><I><B><big><center></B>)
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To: RandFan

The National Review?


17 posted on 11/30/2025 6:53:39 PM PST by vivenne (7Come to think of it. Fact)
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To: nickcarraway

Randfan needs to stop licking Chinese behinds that are pushing this junk here. All you ccp trolls are wasting your time, no one is buying your BS.


18 posted on 11/30/2025 6:54:00 PM PST by CircleCityHamburgerMan (Between grace and mercy, there is no doubt mercy has been the greatest gift I've received.)
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To: RandFan

>> Told you It’s a war crime.

My GAWD you’re an annoying pest.

>> Even National Review says it out loud

Having watched National Review disintegrate into deepstate wokeness, I have no respect (nor an ear!) for ANY. THING. AT. ALL. that those jackasses say. Out loud, in print, or any other way. A complete POX upon those orwellian bastards.


19 posted on 11/30/2025 6:54:23 PM PST by Nervous Tick (Hope, as a righteous product of properly aligned Faith, IS in fact a strategy.)
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To: RandFan

NR has been hijacked by Trump hating a-holes.


20 posted on 11/30/2025 6:54:41 PM PST by iamgalt
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