đ Share this article US Navy Commander to Inform Lawmakers as Bipartisan Scrutiny Grows Over Boat Strike A high-ranking US Navy admiral is scheduled to deliver a classified briefing to congressional members overseeing the armed forces this Thursday, as they probe a US attack on a boat in the Caribbean waters. The incident, which reportedly targeted a craft carrying drugs, reportedly included a follow-up strike that killed any remaining individuals. Administration Defends Strikes as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the follow-on engagement was carried out âin self-defenceâ and in compliance with regulations pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party scrutiny has increased over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a spoken command in September to attack the vessel. Democrats have said the claims, first reported recently, could amount to a war crime, and Republicans have also voiced their concerns about the lawfulness of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional military oversight panels have initiated inquiries into the recent US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. âThe Defense Secretary authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these military actions,â said Leavitt. âAdm Bradley worked well within his authority and the legal framework, overseeing the operation to ensure the vessel was neutralized and the danger to the United States was removed.â In her remarks to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the account that there were survivors after the first attack. Her explanation came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier said he âwouldnât have wanted that â not a second strikeâ when asked about the incident. Growing Congressional Unease and Administration Support Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: âAdm Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my full and complete backing. I stand by him and the battlefield judgments he has made â on the September 2 mission and all others since.â A month following the engagement, Bradley was promoted from head of Joint Special Operations Command to commander of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the governmentâs armed actions against alleged narcotics-trafficking boats has been building in Congress, but details of this follow-on strike stunned many legislators from across the aisle and generated serious questions about the lawfulness of the operations and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader NicolĂĄs Maduro. The lawmakers indicated they did not have confirmation whether the recent report was accurate, and some Republicans were sceptical. Nevertheless, they stated the alleged attacking of survivors of an initial missile strike posed grave issues and merited further scrutiny. Administration and Pentagon Officials Affirm Position The administration commented after the president on Sunday strongly defended Hegseth. âSecretary Hegseth said he did not order the death of those individuals,â Trump stated. He continued, âAnd I believe him.â Leavitt said Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives 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 with the bipartisan leaders heading the Senate and House armed services committees. He restated âhis faith in the seasoned commanders at every echelonâ, Caineâs spokesperson said in a statement. The statement further noted that the conversation focused on âaddressing the purpose and legality of missions to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which threaten the security and security of the Americasâ. Legislative Leaders Respond and Pledge Investigation The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on the week's start broadly defended the operations, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the US. Thune said the committees in the legislature would investigate what occurred. âI donât think you want to draw any judgments or deductions until you have all the facts,â he remarked of the September 2nd attack. âWeâll see where they point.â After the news article, Hegseth wrote on the end of the week that âmisleading reporting is producing more fabricated, inflammatory, and disparaging coverage to discredit our remarkable service members fighting to defend the homelandâ. âOur ongoing missions in the Caribbean are lawful under both US and international law, with every step in compliance with the law of armed conflict â and sanctioned by the most qualified military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,â Hegseth stated. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a ânational embarrassmentâ over his reaction to critics. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the video of the strike and testify under oath about what happened. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his panelâs inquiry would be âdone by the numbersâ. âWeâll discover the facts,â he added, noting that the ramifications of the allegation were âgrave accusationsâ. The September 2nd strike was part of a sequence carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the deployment of a naval group of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the largest US carrier. Over 80 people were fatally wounded in the strikes.
A high-ranking US Navy admiral is scheduled to deliver a classified briefing to congressional members overseeing the armed forces this Thursday, as they probe a US attack on a boat in the Caribbean waters. The incident, which reportedly targeted a craft carrying drugs, reportedly included a follow-up strike that killed any remaining individuals. Administration Defends Strikes as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the follow-on engagement was carried out âin self-defenceâ and in compliance with regulations pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party scrutiny has increased over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a spoken command in September to attack the vessel. Democrats have said the claims, first reported recently, could amount to a war crime, and Republicans have also voiced their concerns about the lawfulness of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional military oversight panels have initiated inquiries into the recent US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. âThe Defense Secretary authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these military actions,â said Leavitt. âAdm Bradley worked well within his authority and the legal framework, overseeing the operation to ensure the vessel was neutralized and the danger to the United States was removed.â In her remarks to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the account that there were survivors after the first attack. Her explanation came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier said he âwouldnât have wanted that â not a second strikeâ when asked about the incident. Growing Congressional Unease and Administration Support Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: âAdm Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my full and complete backing. I stand by him and the battlefield judgments he has made â on the September 2 mission and all others since.â A month following the engagement, Bradley was promoted from head of Joint Special Operations Command to commander of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the governmentâs armed actions against alleged narcotics-trafficking boats has been building in Congress, but details of this follow-on strike stunned many legislators from across the aisle and generated serious questions about the lawfulness of the operations and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader NicolĂĄs Maduro. The lawmakers indicated they did not have confirmation whether the recent report was accurate, and some Republicans were sceptical. Nevertheless, they stated the alleged attacking of survivors of an initial missile strike posed grave issues and merited further scrutiny. Administration and Pentagon Officials Affirm Position The administration commented after the president on Sunday strongly defended Hegseth. âSecretary Hegseth said he did not order the death of those individuals,â Trump stated. He continued, âAnd I believe him.â Leavitt said Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives 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 with the bipartisan leaders heading the Senate and House armed services committees. He restated âhis faith in the seasoned commanders at every echelonâ, Caineâs spokesperson said in a statement. The statement further noted that the conversation focused on âaddressing the purpose and legality of missions to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which threaten the security and security of the Americasâ. Legislative Leaders Respond and Pledge Investigation The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on the week's start broadly defended the operations, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the US. Thune said the committees in the legislature would investigate what occurred. âI donât think you want to draw any judgments or deductions until you have all the facts,â he remarked of the September 2nd attack. âWeâll see where they point.â After the news article, Hegseth wrote on the end of the week that âmisleading reporting is producing more fabricated, inflammatory, and disparaging coverage to discredit our remarkable service members fighting to defend the homelandâ. âOur ongoing missions in the Caribbean are lawful under both US and international law, with every step in compliance with the law of armed conflict â and sanctioned by the most qualified military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,â Hegseth stated. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a ânational embarrassmentâ over his reaction to critics. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the video of the strike and testify under oath about what happened. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his panelâs inquiry would be âdone by the numbersâ. âWeâll discover the facts,â he added, noting that the ramifications of the allegation were âgrave accusationsâ. The September 2nd strike was part of a sequence carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the deployment of a naval group of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the largest US carrier. Over 80 people were fatally wounded in the strikes.