Sen. Rand Paul (R–Ky.) expressed outrage at being misled by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the strikes on alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea.

Hegseth initially claimed to have had no knowledge of a reported second strike on a vessel, which killed two alleged drug traffickers who were clinging to their ship's wreckage after the first strike. The following day, the White House confirmed the second strike—maintaining that it had been authorized.

Paul is correct to harp on this point, since the second strike—if undertaken for the sole purpose of killing the survivors—is flagrantly illegal and immoral. It is a "war crime," according to legal analyst Andrew Napolitano .

But of course, the overarching problem is that the initial strike on the boat lacks clear legitimacy. In fa

See Full Page