CRBC News
Culture
Society
Security
Health
Conflict
Science
Technology
Politics
Environment
Lifestyle
Economy

Retired General Defends 'Reattack' Practice After Sept. 2 Strike, Calls for Pentagon Inquiry

Retired General Jack Keane defended the practice of conducting follow-up strikes in some air- and sea-based operations and urged a Pentagon-led investigation into a Sept. 2 engagement. The second strike reportedly struck survivors of an alleged drug-smuggling boat, prompting accusations against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Keane said ground operations differ because wounded can be taken prisoner, while air/sea strikes often lack on-scene control. He estimated reattacks occur in about 25% of similar missions and emphasized the need for a careful fact-finding review.

09:24 AM, 12/03/2025Conflict

During a televised interview, retired four-star Army General Jack Keane defended the military practice of conducting follow-up strikes in some air- and sea-based operations, and urged a formal Pentagon investigation into a Sept. 2 engagement that has drawn accusations of wrongdoing. The second strike reportedly hit survivors of an alleged drug-smuggling vessel, prompting critics to accuse Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of possible war crimes.

Anchor Martha MacCallum asked Keane to respond after correspondent Jacqui Heinrich summarized reporting about the decision by the defense secretary and an admiral to order the strikes. Keane said the first priority should be a careful, professional review of the facts.

“I think we should just hold our fire here a little bit and let’s get on with an investigation,” Keane said. “The Pentagon should do the investigation. They do a lot of these things in the past, and they’re very good at getting the facts out with all the variables and complexities that are involved here.”

Keane contrasted ground operations, where captured or wounded combatants are normally taken into custody and treated, with strikes delivered from the air or at sea, where no one is physically present to control the scene. He said commanders often face stark operational choices when a target includes both people and a platform such as a boat.

“If the target is a boat and people, the mission is to destroy the boat and kill the people,” Keane said. “In about 25% of these kinds of attacks, we do reattack — either if the facility was the objective, to destroy the rest of the facility; if the people are the objective, to kill the rest of the people.”

Keane acknowledged the moral and legal weight of such actions and reiterated that he did not have full facts about the Sept. 2 incident. He argued that when commanders cannot secure survivors and take them prisoner, follow-up strikes may be judged appropriate under the circumstances, but stressed the need for an impartial review.

MacCallum agreed that an investigation is necessary. Keane closed by asking the public and officials to refrain from rushing to judgment while investigators gather evidence and reconstruct what happened.

The exchange has intensified calls for a transparent, independent review of the operation to establish the facts, determine whether rules of engagement and international law were followed, and clarify accountability.

Similar Articles

Trending