## House Committee Investigates Boat Strike After Controversial Command The leaders of the House Armed Services Committee announced late Saturday that they are demanding a **“full accounting”** of a deadly boat strike that occurred in early September. The decision follows a Washington Post report alleging that U.S. military personnel involved might have received an order to **“kill everybody.”** ### Lawmakers Call for Transparency Committee Chair Mike Rogers and Ranking Member Adam Smith issued a joint statement emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability. They said the committee expects the Department of Defense to provide all relevant details regarding the strike, including the chain of command and the decision-making process behind the engagement. > “The American people deserve to know what happened and why,” the statement read. ### Context of the Strike According to reports, the incident occurred during a U.S. military operation overseas, where a small vessel was struck under disputed circumstances. The Washington Post article suggested that service members were following unclear or possibly unlawful orders. Pentagon officials have so far declined to comment publicly on the specifics of the strike, citing ongoing reviews. ### Next Steps The committee plans to hold briefings and request classified documents to assess whether existing military protocols were properly followed. Lawmakers indicated that further hearings may be scheduled pending the findings of the Department of Defense’s internal investigation. > “Ensuring accountability in the armed forces is critical to maintaining trust in our military institutions,” said one committee aide familiar with the inquiry. *** *Author’s summary: The House Armed Services Committee is probing a September military boat strike after reports that troops may have received an unlawful “kill everybody” order, seeking transparency and accountability from the Pentagon.*

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The Hill on MSN — 2025-11-30