Morning Joe New details on boat strike that killed survivors
Dec 8, 2025
Jonathan Lemire, a Staff writer at The Atlantic, shares insights on a controversial U.S. strike that killed survivors, sparking intense debates. Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling and former Homeland Security Secretary Jay Johnson discuss the legal ramifications, questioning if the action constitutes a war crime. They underscore the moral obligation to rescue rather than target survivors. The panel also emphasizes the need for transparency and congressional hearings to address the rules of engagement and the Pentagon's accountability.
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Graphic Footage Raises Legal Questions
- Footage shows two survivors clinging to wreckage after an airstrike and later killed in a follow-up strike.
- The scene raised moral and legal questions about targeting people clearly out of the fight.
Senior General Labels Action A War Crime
- Lieutenant General Mark Hertling called the killings a war crime given the survivors' condition and context.
- He stressed the broader picture matters, not just a narrow 'soda-straw' view of the wreckage.
Former DoD Lawyer Calls For Transparency
- Jay Johnson argued the strike resembled an unauthorized war and extrajudicial killing when viewed holistically.
- He called for public release of the video and congressional hearings to clarify authority and legality.
