Hegseth Defends Deadly Caribbean Strike Amid Bipartisan Scrutiny Over War-Crimes Violations

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended a controversial US military strike that killed two survivors on a burning boat in the Caribbean on September 2.
• The incident, which left 11 dead, has prompted bipartisan scrutiny over potential war-crimes violations.
• Hegseth attributed the incident to the "fog of war" and defended Adm. Frank M. Bradley, who ordered the follow-up strike.
• President Trump publicly backed Hegseth and Bradley, despite earlier expressing reservations about the second strike.
• The controversy has renewed focus on Hegseth's opposition to restrictive rules of engagement and his advocacy for "maximum lethality."

Why It Matters: The incident sparks urgent debate over Pete Hegseth's rules of engagement and US military ethics.