Bowling for Narcos

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Admiral testified Hegseth did not give ‘kill them all’ order, US lawmakers say

That’s a quote from the BBC. When I made this drawing, I was working under the premise of another BBC report:

During a cabinet meeting at the White House, Hegseth attributed the strike to the “fog of war” in a chaotic situation. The White House has said that a top US Navy admiral, Frank Bradley, authorised the second strike.

Does this pass the earball test?

I’ve no expertise on wartime rules of engagement. Still, given this administration’s rapid implementation of military presence in our own cities to quell “the enemy within”, it’s fair to question the legality of these missile strikes on alleged drug-running boats. It sounds and looks fishy, no pun intended.

What are the rules?

I started digging into the topic of a rules-based world order and quickly realized the material was vast in depth and breadth. But I did get a feel for the history and purpose of the LIO (liberal international order), which essentially sets the behavioral guidelines for nations on global trade and geopolitics. LIO also addresses military guidelines, primarily through international law, cooperative security structures, and specific limitations on the use of force.

No fair!

Surprise! LIO is not the favorite playbook of authoritarian states such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. And if we are honest, “America First” strains the credibility of our commitment to this rules-based system of global cooperation.

Back to blasting boats

Let’s assume they are doing precisely what the administration tells us—running lethal drugs to our shores. Are missile strikes the best and only way to stop them? Non-kinetic-watercraft-disablement is a fancy term for turning off a boat’s engine or electronics without posing an undue risk to personnel or civilians, enabling safer arrests. I don’t know our capability in this area. But even if we are ready to use such weaponry, it appears to lack the ability to deliver a spectacular “ka-boom” video for public consumption.

Something tells me that Trump and Hegseth would want the flashier optics of missile strikes anyway. Maybe Hegseth didn’t literally say “Kill them all”, but he’s picking up the spares getting the strikes he wants.

Niagara Falls Police Blotter