Washington Merry-Go-Round

IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7 December 2025
WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND
Today’s Events in Historical Perspective
America’s Longest-Running Column, Founded 1932
We await a valid reason
By Douglas Cohn and Eleanor Clift         
 
WASHINGTON – Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley stated in a closed congressional hearing that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth did not order him to kill two survivors clinging the remains of their boat (alleged to be carrying illegal drugs) following an attack by the U.S. Navy.
At this stage we do not have all the facts, and it would be inconceivable that a decorated and distinguished admiral would commit a war crime whether he was ordered to do so or did so on his own. But if the inconceivable proves to have been conceivable, the 2nd Geneva Convention would govern:
“Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea. Geneva, 12 August 1949.
“(1) Members of the armed forces and other persons mentioned in the following Article, who are at sea and who are wounded, sick or shipwrecked, shall be respected and protected in all circumstances, it being understood that the term “shipwreck” means shipwreck from any cause and includes forced landings at sea by or from aircraft.
“(2) Such persons shall be treated humanely and cared for by the Parties to the conflict in whose power they may be, without any adverse distinction founded on sex, race, nationality, religion, political opinions, or any other similar criteria. Any attempts upon their lives, or violence to their persons, shall be strictly prohibited; in particular, they shall not be murdered or exterminated, subjected to torture or to biological experiments; they shall not willfully be left without medical assistance and care, nor shall conditions exposing them to contagion or infection be created.”
The operative phrase is “from any cause.” The vessel in question was destroyed not as an act of war (The United States is not at war with Venezuela), but on the assumption that it was engaged in unproven illegal drug trafficking. Whether true or not, the Geneva Convention makes no distinction. The U.S. Navy was obligated to save the men.
Apologists are claiming that the men were attempting to turn over the remaining portion of their capsized boat and remain in the fight. But there was no fight. There has been no claim that crew on that boat fired on U.S. vessels or aircraft, and it certainly would have lacked any remaining form of locomotion.
What we do not know is the admiral’s thinking. The U.S. vessels were not in a combat situation. There was ample time to make a cool, collected reasoned decision. Presumably, the admiral made his choice for a valid reason in accordance with the Geneva Convention. Taking the blame for a Hegseth order – if it were given – would not qualify because it would have been an illegal order that the admiral was duty-bound, honor-bound, and legally-bound to refuse.
This would leave the onus on the admiral alone if Hegseth was not involved, and we need to know his reasoning for ordering the second fatal strike. For his sake and the sake of the nation’s reputation, we can only hope there was a valid reason.
 
See Eleanor Clift’s book Selecting a President, and Douglas Cohn’s latest books The President’s First Year: The Only School for Presidents Is the Presidency and World War 4: Nine Scenarios (endorsed by seven flag officers).
Twitter:  @douglas_cohn
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END WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND