Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that he did not see any survivors after a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug boat and "a couple hours" passed before he learned of a second lethal attack on the vessel.
Speaking to reporters assembled for a cabinet meeting, Hegseth distanced himself from the strike that killed the two survivors as they floated helplessly in the water along with the ship's remains. The incident has drawn accusations of being a war crime and has attracted bipartisan scrutiny in Congress.
But Hegseth struck a defiant tone, saying he watched the strike remotely and did not see any survivors because of the smoke and flames left in its aftermath.
"This is called the fog of war," he said.
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