AMNA NAWAZ: Welcome to the "News Hour."

A new bipartisan divide has broken open after# senior U.S.

military officers showed Congress## video of multiple strikes on a boat in the# Caribbean in early September.

Republicans## backed the decision by a special operations# forces commander to target survivors of the## first strike in the administration's# campaign against alleged drug boats.

GEOFF BENNETT: But Democrats accused# the commander of targeting a shipwreck,## which would be a violation of international# law.

Both sides agreed that Secretary Hegseth## did not provide what would have been an# illegal order to kill everyone on board.

Nick Schifrin begins our coverage.

QUESTION: Admiral, General, what's# your message to the American people?

NICK SCHIFRIN: On Capitol Hill today, the# U.S.'

most senior military officer and the## admiral at the center of a contentious strike# gave their version and revealed more video of## the September two attack that targeted what the# administration says were 11 narco-terrorists.

A U.S.

official tells "PBS News Hour"# that Admiral Frank Mitch Bradley and## chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General# Dan Caine told lawmakers in classified## briefings that the first strike killed nine# people and that, after the first strike,## the boat was still seaworthy, the men on# board still had drugs and communications,## which meant they were still combatants,# and a rescue boat was approaching.

Bradley then ordered the second# strike 30 to 60 minutes later## to kill two more people.

A third# and fourth strike sunk the boat.

That narrative embraced by Republicans, including# Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton.

SEN.

TOM COTTON (R-AR): I saw two survivors# trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound## for the United States, back over so they# could stay in the fight.

The first strike,## the second strike, and the third and fourth# strike on September 2 were entirely lawful## and needful and they were exactly what we# would expect our military commanders to do.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But one of the lawmakers critical# of today's briefing tells "PBS News Hour" that## the ship was capsized by the first strike# and almost submerged.

The survivors had no## means of communication and it's not clear if# the boat nearby would come to their rescue.

House Intelligence Ranking Member Jim Himes: REP.

JIM HIMES (D-CT): What I saw in that# room was one of the most troubling things## I have seen in my time in public service.# You have two individuals in clear distress,## without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed# vessel, who were killed by the United States.

Any American who sees the video that I saw will## see the United States military# attacking shipwrecked sailors.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But there was bipartisan# agreement that Secretary Pete Hegseth did## not give a written or verbal order before# the strikes to kill everyone on board.

SEN.

TOM COTTON: Admiral Bradley was very# clear that he was given no such order.

REP.

JIM HIMES: The admiral confirmed that# there had not been a "Kill them all" order.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The U.S.

military says,# since September, it's launched 21 strikes,## killing more than 80, in a mission designed to# save American lives from drugs.

In mid-October,## the U.S.

struck this submarine and, instead# of targeting survivors, rescued them, because,## unlike the previous case, their ship was# no longer seaworthy, Cotton said today.

SEN.

TOM COTTON: They were# treated, as they should be,## as noncombatants.

They were# picked up by U.S.

forces.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Democrats and many former# military lawyers still question whether the## overall campaign is legal.

But when it comes to# the September 2 strike, it appears Republicans,## who lead Congress, are satisfied with the# military and administration's explanations.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Nick Schifrin.