🔗 Share this article American Navy Commander to Inform Lawmakers as Bipartisan Examination Intensifies Over Maritime Engagement A senior American naval admiral is set to deliver a confidential update to congressional members monitoring the military this week, as investigators examine a US attack on a vessel in the Caribbean waters. The incident, which reportedly struck a craft carrying narcotics, allegedly involved a follow-up strike that eliminated any remaining individuals. White House Justifies Actions as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday stated that the follow-on engagement was carried out “in self-defence” and in compliance with laws pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party scrutiny has increased over a account that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth gave a spoken command in September to strike the boat. Democrats have said the claims, first reported recently, could amount to a violation of international law, and GOP members have also expressed their concerns about the lawfulness of the strike on 2 September. The House and Senate military oversight panels have initiated inquiries into the recent US military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific waters. “The Defense Secretary authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these military actions,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley worked well within his mandate and the legal framework, overseeing the engagement to guarantee the vessel was neutralized and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the report that there were survivors after the initial strike. Her explanation came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier said he “would not have approved that – not a follow-up attack” when asked about the event. Growing Legislative Concern and Administration Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a consummate professional, and has my full and complete backing. I support him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A thirty days following the strike, Bradley was promoted from head of Joint Special Operations Command to chief of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the administration’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling vessels has been building in Congress, but particulars of this follow-on strike stunned many lawmakers from across the aisle and sparked serious inquiries about the lawfulness of the operations and the overall strategy in the region, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members said they did not know whether last week’s news story was accurate, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Still, they said the reported attacking of individuals of an initial rocket attack presented serious concerns and deserved additional investigation. Administration and Military Officials Reiterate Position The White House weighed in after the president on the weekend vigorously defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those two men,” Trump stated. He added, “And I believe him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had conversed with members of Congress who may have voiced some worries about the reports over the past few days. General Dan Caine, the head of the joint chiefs of staff, also spoke over the weekend period with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers leading the Congressional armed services committees. He restated “his faith in the experienced commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s office said in a release. The statement further noted that the conversation focused on “addressing the intent and legality of operations to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which endanger the security and stability of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Leaders React and Promise Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday broadly supported the missions, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stem the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in the legislature would investigate what happened. “I don’t think you want to make any judgments or deductions until you have complete information,” he remarked of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” Following the news article, Hegseth said on Friday that “fake news is delivering more false, provocative, and disparaging coverage to undermine our incredible warriors working to defend the nation”. “Our current operations in the region are legal under both US and global statutes, with every step in accordance with the rules of war – and approved by the most qualified legal advisors, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth stated. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his response to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth make public the video of the strike and testify under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, vowed that his panel’s inquiry would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he said, noting that the implications of the allegation were “serious charges”. The September 2nd strike was one in a series executed by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has ordered the deployment of a fleet of warships near Venezuela, including the largest US aircraft carrier. More than eighty individuals were killed in the series of attacks.
A senior American naval admiral is set to deliver a confidential update to congressional members monitoring the military this week, as investigators examine a US attack on a vessel in the Caribbean waters. The incident, which reportedly struck a craft carrying narcotics, allegedly involved a follow-up strike that eliminated any remaining individuals. White House Justifies Actions as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday stated that the follow-on engagement was carried out “in self-defence” and in compliance with laws pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party scrutiny has increased over a account that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth gave a spoken command in September to strike the boat. Democrats have said the claims, first reported recently, could amount to a violation of international law, and GOP members have also expressed their concerns about the lawfulness of the strike on 2 September. The House and Senate military oversight panels have initiated inquiries into the recent US military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific waters. “The Defense Secretary authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these military actions,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley worked well within his mandate and the legal framework, overseeing the engagement to guarantee the vessel was neutralized and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the report that there were survivors after the initial strike. Her explanation came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier said he “would not have approved that – not a follow-up attack” when asked about the event. Growing Legislative Concern and Administration Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a consummate professional, and has my full and complete backing. I support him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A thirty days following the strike, Bradley was promoted from head of Joint Special Operations Command to chief of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the administration’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling vessels has been building in Congress, but particulars of this follow-on strike stunned many lawmakers from across the aisle and sparked serious inquiries about the lawfulness of the operations and the overall strategy in the region, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members said they did not know whether last week’s news story was accurate, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Still, they said the reported attacking of individuals of an initial rocket attack presented serious concerns and deserved additional investigation. Administration and Military Officials Reiterate Position The White House weighed in after the president on the weekend vigorously defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those two men,” Trump stated. He added, “And I believe him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had conversed with members of Congress who may have voiced some worries about the reports over the past few days. General Dan Caine, the head of the joint chiefs of staff, also spoke over the weekend period with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers leading the Congressional armed services committees. He restated “his faith in the experienced commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s office said in a release. The statement further noted that the conversation focused on “addressing the intent and legality of operations to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which endanger the security and stability of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Leaders React and Promise Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday broadly supported the missions, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stem the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in the legislature would investigate what happened. “I don’t think you want to make any judgments or deductions until you have complete information,” he remarked of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” Following the news article, Hegseth said on Friday that “fake news is delivering more false, provocative, and disparaging coverage to undermine our incredible warriors working to defend the nation”. “Our current operations in the region are legal under both US and global statutes, with every step in accordance with the rules of war – and approved by the most qualified legal advisors, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth stated. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his response to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth make public the video of the strike and testify under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, vowed that his panel’s inquiry would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he said, noting that the implications of the allegation were “serious charges”. The September 2nd strike was one in a series executed by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has ordered the deployment of a fleet of warships near Venezuela, including the largest US aircraft carrier. More than eighty individuals were killed in the series of attacks.