By Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - A senior U.S. lawmaker said a video shown to lawmakers on Thursday of a military strike against a suspected drug vessel was "one of the most troubling things" he had seen as it showed survivors in clear distress when they were killed.
The remarks by Representative Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, ratchets up pressure on officials involved in a September 2 U.S. military attack on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean that killed 11 suspected traffickers.
Officials have said the operation included a follow-on strike against the vessel after an initial attack when there were still survivors, raising questions about the legality of the operation and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's role in it.
Hegseth has already come under fire this year after a Pentagon investigation faulted him for using Signal on his personal device to send sensitive information about planned strikes in Yemen.
Admiral Frank Bradley, who was the head of the Joint Special Operations Command at the time, and top U.S. general Dan Caine on Thursday briefed lawmakers including Himes on the operation and showed an unedited video of the follow-on strike.
"What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things that I've seen in my time in public service," Himes told reporters after the briefing.
"You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel, who were killed by the United States."
But he also said that Bradley and Caine "did the right thing" and that he respected the admiral, who is now the head of the U.S. Special Operations Command.
Before the briefing, a U.S. official said Bradley would tell lawmakers that the survivors were legitimate targets for a second attack because their vessel was still believed to contain illegal narcotics.
The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.
STRIKES PART OF TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN AGAINST CARTELS
So far, there have been 20 U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific against suspected drug vessels this year that have killed more than 80 people.
Killing suspected drug traffickers who pose no threat of causing imminent serious injury to others would be murder under U.S. and international law. However, the United States has framed the attacks as a war with drug cartels, calling them armed groups.
The Defense Department's Law of War Manual forbids attacks on combatants who are incapacitated, unconscious or shipwrecked, provided they abstain from hostilities or are not attempting to escape. The manual cites firing upon shipwreck survivors as an example of a "clearly illegal" order that should be refused.
Hegseth said on Tuesday he had watched the first U.S. strike in September on the suspected drug-smuggling vessel in real time, but did not see survivors in the water or the second lethal strike that he described as being carried out in the "fog of war." But he defended Bradley's decision to carry out a follow-up strike.
"Admiral Bradley made the correct decision to ultimately sink the boat and eliminate the threat," Hegseth said.
HEGSETH IN FOCUS OVER STRIKES, SIGNAL USE
Trump, who told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday that he would not have wanted the second strike, largely voiced support for Hegseth and the operation on Tuesday, while also saying he hadn't been aware of the second strike.
The lethal strikes on drug vessels, including the early September one, are part of a broader campaign that the Trump administration says is aimed at cutting off the supply of illegal drugs into the U.S.
The administration has said drug cartels pose an immediate threat to the United States and justified its strikes by equating suspected drug traffickers with terrorists, though many legal experts dispute the validity of such a characterization.
Hegseth remains in focus for both the military campaign as well as his use of Signal.
The Pentagon Inspector General report, which was released on Thursday, said Hegseth's use of Signal could have endangered U.S. troops if intercepted.
"(The) Secretary’s actions created a risk to operational security that could have resulted in failed U.S. mission objectives and potential harm to U.S. pilots," the report said.
Prominent Democrats, including the top Democratic lawmaker on the House Armed Services Committee, said the Signal investigation showed Hegseth lacked the judgment required of the leader of the U.S. armed forces.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Michael Perry and Deepa Babington)
