Lawmakers Demand Release of Boat Strike Video Amid Cost Concerns

Call for Video Release

• 🏛️ Lawmakers from both parties are urging the release of video footage from a second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean.
• 🔒 Defense Secretary Pete Hex stated the Pentagon is still reviewing the footage, citing potential compromise of operational security and the intelligence network.
• 🗣️ Lawmakers argue that the video should be made public, or at least accessible to all members of Congress, with some who have seen it reportedly shocked.
• ⚖️ A bipartisan group of former federal ethics officials is requesting an internal Justice Department investigation into the legal opinion that justified the boat strikes.

Operation Southern Spear Details

• 🗓️ The second boat strike occurred on September 2nd as part of "Operation Southern Spear."
• ⏱️ The video footage, including the first strike and subsequent three, is estimated to be between 40 and 60 minutes long.
• ✂️ While the Pentagon claims sensitive information needs redaction, the process of deducting data from such videos is feasible.
• ⏳ Defense Secretary Hex is perceived as dragging his heels on releasing the footage.

Potential Catalyst for Release

• 💰 A caveat within the defense budget may force the video's release, threatening to cut the travel budget by a quarter if it is not.
• 🤔 The current situation is described as a "wait and see" scenario.

Cost of Operation Southern Spear

• 🚢 The operation's cost is substantial, with ships alone costing approximately $263 million over three months of deployment.
• ✈️ Aircraft costs include F-35 fighter jets at $42,000 per flight hour, B-52s at $88,000, and B-1s at a whopping $173,000 per flight hour.
• ✈️ While some argue aircraft costs are for training, they represent a significant expense, and their deployment slows down the rotation for other global deployments.
• ❓ Questions remain about the operation's effectiveness in stemming the flow of illegal narcotics into the United States relative to its immense cost.