Overview
- Vice Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley is scheduled to brief House and Senate Armed Services members in a classified session on Thursday about the Sept. 2 operation.
- The White House says Bradley ordered the second strike and acted within his authority, while Hegseth denies giving a ‘kill everybody’ order and says he did not witness the follow-up shot.
- Bipartisan committee leaders have opened inquiries and are pressing for unedited video and the legal rationale underpinning the strikes.
- Since early September, officials say roughly 21 strikes have killed more than 80 people labeled as ‘narco‑terrorists,’ though the administration has not publicly provided corroborating evidence.
- At a Cabinet meeting, Hegseth said the campaign has ‘only just begun,’ as President Trump voiced confidence in him but noted he would not have wanted survivors to be killed.