🔗 Share this article US Admiral to Inform Congress as Bipartisan Examination Intensifies Over Vessel Attack A senior US Navy admiral is set to provide a classified briefing to lawmakers overseeing the military this Thursday, as they probe a American strike on a vessel in the Caribbean waters. This event, which reportedly targeted a boat transporting narcotics, reportedly involved a follow-up engagement that killed any survivors. Administration Defends Actions as Self-Defense The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the follow-on engagement was conducted “in self-defence” and in compliance with regulations pertaining to military engagement. Bipartisan scrutiny has mounted over a account that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in last month to attack the boat. Democrats have said the allegations, initially disclosed last week, could constitute a war crime, and Republicans have also expressed their apprehensions about the lawfulness of the strike on 2 September. The House and Senate armed services committees have initiated inquiries into the recent series of US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific waters. “The Defense Secretary authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these military actions,” said Leavitt. “The commander acted well within his mandate and the law, overseeing the engagement to guarantee the vessel was neutralized and the threat to the United States was eliminated.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the account that there were individuals who survived after the first attack. Her explanation came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when asked about the incident. Mounting Congressional Unease and Internal Backing Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my full and complete backing. I support him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A thirty days after the strike, Bradley was promoted from commander of Joint Special Operations Command to commander of USSOCOM. Concern over the government’s military strikes against alleged drug-smuggling vessels has been building in Congress, but particulars of this follow-on strike stunned many lawmakers from both parties and generated stark inquiries about the legality of the operations and the broader policy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not know whether the recent report was accurate, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Still, they stated the reported targeting of survivors of an first missile strike posed serious concerns and deserved further scrutiny. White House and Military Leaders Affirm Position The administration weighed in after the president on the weekend strongly supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not command the death of those individuals,” Trump said. He added, “And I trust him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have voiced some concerns about the reports over the weekend. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the joint chiefs of staff, also spoke over the weekend period with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his trust and confidence in the experienced commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s office said in a statement. The release further noted that the conversation centered on “addressing the intent and legality of missions to disrupt illicit trafficking networks which endanger the security and stability of the Americas”. Legislative Figures Respond and Promise Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on the week's start broadly defended the operations, echoing the administration position that they were essential to stem the influx of illicit drugs into the US. Thune said the panels in Congress would look into what occurred. “I don’t think you want to draw any conclusions or deductions until you have complete information,” he said of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the news article, Hegseth said on the end of the week that “fake news is producing more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to undermine our incredible service members fighting to defend the nation”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are legal under both US and global statutes, with all actions in compliance with the rules of war – and sanctioned by the most qualified military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer called for that Hegseth release the video of the strike and appear under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his panel’s inquiry would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he said, stating that the ramifications of the allegation were “serious charges”. The 2 September strike was part of a sequence carried out by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the buildup of a naval group of warships near Venezuela, including the largest US carrier. More than 80 people were killed in the series of attacks.
A senior US Navy admiral is set to provide a classified briefing to lawmakers overseeing the military this Thursday, as they probe a American strike on a vessel in the Caribbean waters. This event, which reportedly targeted a boat transporting narcotics, reportedly involved a follow-up engagement that killed any survivors. Administration Defends Actions as Self-Defense The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the follow-on engagement was conducted “in self-defence” and in compliance with regulations pertaining to military engagement. Bipartisan scrutiny has mounted over a account that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in last month to attack the boat. Democrats have said the allegations, initially disclosed last week, could constitute a war crime, and Republicans have also expressed their apprehensions about the lawfulness of the strike on 2 September. The House and Senate armed services committees have initiated inquiries into the recent series of US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific waters. “The Defense Secretary authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these military actions,” said Leavitt. “The commander acted well within his mandate and the law, overseeing the engagement to guarantee the vessel was neutralized and the threat to the United States was eliminated.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the account that there were individuals who survived after the first attack. Her explanation came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when asked about the incident. Mounting Congressional Unease and Internal Backing Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my full and complete backing. I support him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A thirty days after the strike, Bradley was promoted from commander of Joint Special Operations Command to commander of USSOCOM. Concern over the government’s military strikes against alleged drug-smuggling vessels has been building in Congress, but particulars of this follow-on strike stunned many lawmakers from both parties and generated stark inquiries about the legality of the operations and the broader policy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not know whether the recent report was accurate, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Still, they stated the reported targeting of survivors of an first missile strike posed serious concerns and deserved further scrutiny. White House and Military Leaders Affirm Position The administration weighed in after the president on the weekend strongly supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not command the death of those individuals,” Trump said. He added, “And I trust him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have voiced some concerns about the reports over the weekend. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the joint chiefs of staff, also spoke over the weekend period with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his trust and confidence in the experienced commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s office said in a statement. The release further noted that the conversation centered on “addressing the intent and legality of missions to disrupt illicit trafficking networks which endanger the security and stability of the Americas”. Legislative Figures Respond and Promise Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on the week's start broadly defended the operations, echoing the administration position that they were essential to stem the influx of illicit drugs into the US. Thune said the panels in Congress would look into what occurred. “I don’t think you want to draw any conclusions or deductions until you have complete information,” he said of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the news article, Hegseth said on the end of the week that “fake news is producing more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to undermine our incredible service members fighting to defend the nation”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are legal under both US and global statutes, with all actions in compliance with the rules of war – and sanctioned by the most qualified military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer called for that Hegseth release the video of the strike and appear under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his panel’s inquiry would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he said, stating that the ramifications of the allegation were “serious charges”. The 2 September strike was part of a sequence carried out by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the buildup of a naval group of warships near Venezuela, including the largest US carrier. More than 80 people were killed in the series of attacks.