# If Pete Hegseth is guilty of a war crime punishable by the ICC ... so what?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-pete-hegseth-is-guilty-of-a-war-crime-punishable-by-the-icc-so-what/1025368>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 3, 2025, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-pete-hegseth-is-guilty-of-a-war-crime-punishable-by-the-icc-so-what/1025368 "2025-12-03T15:36:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 59

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**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2025, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-pete-hegseth-is-guilty-of-a-war-crime-punishable-by-the-icc-so-what/1025368/59 "2025-12-05T12:37:13Z")

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> [@CookingWithGas](#):
>
> You don’t have to have a declaration of war to have a war crime.

Huh. If I kill a bunch of people on a boat, it’s not a war crime. This is all just very strange.

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