Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s claim from earlier in the week that he cannot release the video of a second strike on survivors of an alleged drug-running boat was contradicted by military commanders on Wednesday.
CNN national security reporter Zachary Cohen noted, “Rep. Jason Crow says on CNN he asked US military commanders during today’s classified briefing if there was any reason they could NOT release full video from Sept. 2 boat strike.” Cohen added:
“No,” was their response, per Crow, who said lawmakers were told the video could easily be prepared for public release.
Hegseth has claimed releasing the video would compromise sources & methods (despite already releasing a portion of the footage)
Another source familiar with the briefing also confirms US military officials (including Adm. Bradley) were clear they COULD release the video.
Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley ordered the second strike on survivors in early September following a reported directive from Hegseth to leave no survivors, an order Hegseth has denied giving. Hegseth’s office also initially called the “entire narrative” regarding a second strike on survivors “false.”
Hegseth told reporters on Tuesday after briefing lawmakers on Capitol Hill, “So we’re proud of what we’re doing, able to lay it out very directly to these senators and soon to the House. But it’s all classified; we can’t talk about it now. We’re also going to tomorrow allow the HASC and SASC to see the unedited video of September 2nd, alongside Admiral Bradley, who has done a fantastic job, has made all the right calls, and we’re glad he’ll be there to do it. But in keeping with long-standing Department of Defense policy, of course we’re not going to release a top-secret, full, unedited video of that to the general public. HASC and SASC, appropriate committees, will see it, but not the general public.”
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) called Hegseth a liar in a post on Wednesday. “He’s lying. How do we know? Because they released the Sept 2nd video already!! Just not the part where they illegally killed the survivors. There’s nothing ‘top secret’ about the second strike if there wasn’t anything top secret about the first one.”
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