Did a U.S. Boat Strike Amount to a War Crime?

Over the past three months, the U.S. military has been firing on
boats from South America, killing more than 80 people and
prompting Democrats to raise urgent questions about their
legality.


Now, one of these operations, which killed survivors with a
second missile, has prompted congressional Republicans to join
those calls for accountability.


Charlie Savage, who covers national security for The New York
Times, explains the renewed debate and how the administration is
justifying its actions.


Guest: Charlie Savage, who covers national
security and legal policy for The New York Times.


Background reading: 


Lawmakers suggested that a follow-up boat strike could have
been a war crime.

Amid talk of a war crime, the details and precise sequence of
a Sept. 2 attack on a boat in the Caribbean are facing more
scrutiny.



Photo: Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times


For more information on today’s episode,
visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of
each episode will be made available by the next workday. 


Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and
Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app
here
https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher.
For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York
Times app at nytimes.com/app.