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\nAmid concerns over a significant national security leak and doubts about the judgment of senior figures in the Trump administration\u2014who mistakenly included a reporter in a Signal group chat discussing bombing plans in Yemen\u2014the situation highlighted this week by Atlantic<\/em> journalist Jeffrey Goldberg also seemed to reveal an admission of what could be a war crime.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nAs reported by Common Dreams<\/em> on Wednesday, Goldberg exposed the entire content of the chat that occurred on the Signal app, following denials from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt that the chat contained any sensitive information.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nThe discussion detailed upcoming strikes on Houthi forces in Yemen using F-18s and drones and included a chilling note from National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, who nonchalantly mentioned an attack on a civilian area in Sanaa.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nWaltz initially commended Hegseth, Gen. Michael Kurilla, the head of Central Command, and the intelligence community for their “excellent work,” noting that a “building collapsed” following intelligence that pinpointed a Houthi leader.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nHe further detailed for Vice President JD Vance: “Their initial target\u2014their chief missile expert\u2014was positively identified entering his girlfriend\u2019s building, which is now rubble,” Waltz wrote.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nVance responded with a simple, “Excellent.”\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nThe messages, revealed by Goldberg, were exchanged over several days around the Trump administration\u2019s March 15 bombing in Yemen, executed after the Houthis imposed a blockade on Israeli shipping.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nThe strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 31 civilians, with Houthi media at the time reporting that a “residential area” in Sanaa had been hit.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nKim Zetter, a journalist and author, noted that Waltz\u2019s comments implied that senior administration officials were aware that U.S. forces had “targeted a residential building,” contradicting President Donald Trump\u2019s assertions.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nDylan Williams, Vice President for Government Affairs at the Center for International Policy, described the text messages as “clear evidence of at least one war crime celebrated by those who planned it.”\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nMatt Duss, Executive Vice President of the organization, referenced a warning by Lara Friedman, President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, in September 2024 about the Biden administration\u2019s endorsement of Israel\u2019s “rules of war” in Gaza\u2014where every person has been categorized as a legitimate military target: a terrorist, a supporter or sympathizer of terrorism, or a \u2018human shield.\u2019 This justification allows for the extensive loss of civilian lives and the obliteration of entire cities.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n“The repercussions of these new warfare rules will be suffered by civilians globally for decades, and the U.S.\u2019s role in endorsing, defending, and normalizing these rules\u2014and their dreadful, inhumane consequences\u2014will be remembered,” Friedman had said.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nDuss highlighted on Wednesday that \u201crules of engagement that justify the destruction of an entire civilian apartment block to eliminate one suspected terrorist is a part of [former President] Joe Biden\u2019s legacy.\u201d\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n“Nevertheless, it\u2019s still a war crime,” he concluded, “and Waltz\u2019s message is akin to an admission.”<\/p>\n\n\n