US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has provoked controversy by posting an AI-generated image of children's book character Franklin the Turtle firing missiles from a helicopter, as he faces serious allegations of ordering extrajudicial killings in military strikes on suspected drug traffickers.
AI Posting Follows 'Kill Everybody' Allegations
On Sunday night, Hegseth used his personal X account to share a fabricated book cover titled Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists. The image depicted the turtle in combat gear aiming a rocket launcher from a military helicopter at three boats below. Hegseth captioned the post "For your Christmas wish list" and tagged US Southern Command, which oversees the controversial operations.
This bizarre social media activity comes after damning reports in The Washington Post alleging Hegseth instructed military personnel to leave no survivors during strikes on vessels accused of smuggling drugs. According to the newspaper's sources, a September 2nd missile strike on a boat carrying 11 suspected traffickers left two survivors in the water. A Special Operations commander then ordered a second strike, allegedly to comply with Hegseth's directive to "kill everybody," resulting in the deaths of both survivors.
Growing Legal and Political Scrutiny
The alleged command and subsequent "double-tap" strike have triggered intense legal scrutiny and bipartisan concern in Congress. International investigators and law-of-war experts have labelled the actions, if verified, as potential war crimes and murder.
The Former JAGs Working Group, comprising ex-military lawyers, stated they "unanimously consider both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both." Similarly, the National Security Leaders for America, a group of 1,400 retired senior officials, warned the alleged actions "would violate a core principle of military ethics and the law of armed conflict."
On Capitol Hill, both Democratic and Republican members of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees have pledged "vigorous oversight." Senate Armed Services Committee chair Roger Wicker (GOP) and top Democrat Jack Reed confirmed they have "directed inquiries" to the Pentagon.
Administration's Defence and Dubious Legal Ground
In a lengthy statement on X, Hegseth defended the campaign against "fake news" but did not explicitly deny issuing the "kill everybody" order. He asserted operations are "lawful under both U.S. and international law" and approved by military lawyers. President Donald Trump publicly backed his Defence Secretary, stating he has "great confidence" Hegseth did not give the order.
The administration's legal justification rests on a September declaration to Congress that the US is in an "armed conflict" with drug cartels, which it labels "nonstate armed groups" and "unlawful combatants." This classification allows for military engagement under the laws of war.
However, critics argue this rationale is "dubious." Following closed-door briefings, Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said officials were "unable to provide any credible explanation for its extrajudicial and unauthorized" attacks. The campaign, involving more than a dozen strikes killing over 80 people since September, faces accusations of being an unconstitutional circumvention of congressional war powers.
As the scandal unfolds online, X users have responded to Hegseth's post with their own AI-generated book covers, including titles like Franklin Goes to The Hague and Franklin On Trial at the ICC, highlighting the severe international legal ramifications the Defence Secretary now potentially faces.
