On Monday during “The Last Word” segment of MS NOW, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) expressed concern over the United States’ position regarding an incident in September involving a strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean. Whitehouse suggested that if survivors were killed following the attack, the U.S. might be on the “wrong side” of the situation.

Host Lawrence O’Donnell posed an intriguing question: “How do we interpret this? And can a war crime occur in the absence of war? What term applies when there’s no active conflict?”

Whitehouse responded, “In common terms, it would be referred to as murder.”

O’Donnell asked for further clarification, “Is that your interpretation here?”

Whitehouse replied, “I lack sufficient details to make a definitive legal judgment, but consider this: a boat has been destroyed, ending whatever activity was taking place. With two survivors now in the water, even amidst warfare, any decent nation would rescue them and treat them as prisoners of war. In this scenario, reminiscent of a Hollywood plot where villains attack survivors, it’s clear that Americans shouldn’t be the antagonists. If we’re targeting survivors instead of attempting a rescue, we are unequivocally on the wrong side.”

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