🔗 Share this article American Navy Commander to Brief Lawmakers as Cross-Party Scrutiny Intensifies Over Vessel Attack A high-ranking US Navy officer is set to provide a classified briefing to congressional members overseeing the military this Thursday, as investigators examine a US strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea. This event, which reportedly targeted a boat carrying drugs, reportedly involved a second engagement that eliminated any survivors. White House Justifies Actions as Self-Defense The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the second strike was conducted “in self-defence” and in compliance with laws pertaining to armed conflict. Bipartisan scrutiny has increased over a account that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in last month to strike the vessel. Democrats have argued the claims, first reported recently, could constitute a violation of international law, and Republicans have also expressed their concerns about the legality of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional military oversight panels have initiated inquiries into the recent US military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these kinetic strikes,” stated Leavitt. “Adm Bradley worked well within his mandate and the law, directing the operation to guarantee the vessel was neutralized and the danger to the United States was removed.” In her remarks to the press, Leavitt did not challenge the report that there were individuals who survived after the initial attack. Her justification came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier said he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when questioned about the incident. Growing Congressional Unease and Administration Backing Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an American hero, a consummate professional, and has my full and complete backing. I stand by him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A month after the engagement, Bradley was elevated from head of Joint Special Operations Command to chief of USSOCOM. Anxiety over the administration’s military strikes against suspected narcotics-trafficking vessels has been growing in Congress, but particulars of this subsequent attack shocked many legislators 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 congressional members indicated they did not have confirmation whether the recent news story was true, and some Republicans were doubtful. Still, they stated the alleged targeting of survivors of an initial rocket attack posed grave issues and merited additional investigation. White House and Pentagon Leaders Affirm Stance The administration commented after the commander-in-chief on Sunday strongly supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the killing of those two men,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I trust him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had conversed with members of Congress who may have voiced some worries about the reports over the past few days. Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the military's top officers, also spoke over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers leading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his trust and confidence in the experienced commanders at every level”, Caine’s office said in a release. The release further noted that the call focused on “addressing the intent and lawfulness of operations to disrupt illegal smuggling rings which endanger the safety and security of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Leaders React and Promise Probe The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on the week's start generally defended the missions, echoing the administration position that they were necessary to stop the influx of illicit drugs into the US. Thune stated the panels in Congress would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any judgments or inferences until you have complete information,” he remarked of the September 2nd strike. “We’ll see where they lead.” Following the report, Hegseth said on Friday that “misleading reporting is producing more false, provocative, and derogatory coverage to discredit our remarkable service members fighting to defend the nation”. “Our current operations in the Caribbean are legal under both US and international law, with all actions in compliance with the rules of war – and approved by the best legal advisors, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to critics. Schumer demanded that Hegseth make public the video of the attack and testify under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate military panel, vowed that his panel’s investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll discover the ground truth,” he said, noting that the ramifications of the report were “grave accusations”. The 2 September strike was one in a series carried out by the US military in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of warships near the Venezuelan coast, including the largest US aircraft carrier. Over 80 people were fatally wounded in the series of attacks.
A high-ranking US Navy officer is set to provide a classified briefing to congressional members overseeing the military this Thursday, as investigators examine a US strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea. This event, which reportedly targeted a boat carrying drugs, reportedly involved a second engagement that eliminated any survivors. White House Justifies Actions as Self-Defense The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the second strike was conducted “in self-defence” and in compliance with laws pertaining to armed conflict. Bipartisan scrutiny has increased over a account that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in last month to strike the vessel. Democrats have argued the claims, first reported recently, could constitute a violation of international law, and Republicans have also expressed their concerns about the legality of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional military oversight panels have initiated inquiries into the recent US military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these kinetic strikes,” stated Leavitt. “Adm Bradley worked well within his mandate and the law, directing the operation to guarantee the vessel was neutralized and the danger to the United States was removed.” In her remarks to the press, Leavitt did not challenge the report that there were individuals who survived after the initial attack. Her justification came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier said he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when questioned about the incident. Growing Congressional Unease and Administration Backing Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an American hero, a consummate professional, and has my full and complete backing. I stand by him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A month after the engagement, Bradley was elevated from head of Joint Special Operations Command to chief of USSOCOM. Anxiety over the administration’s military strikes against suspected narcotics-trafficking vessels has been growing in Congress, but particulars of this subsequent attack shocked many legislators 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 congressional members indicated they did not have confirmation whether the recent news story was true, and some Republicans were doubtful. Still, they stated the alleged targeting of survivors of an initial rocket attack posed grave issues and merited additional investigation. White House and Pentagon Leaders Affirm Stance The administration commented after the commander-in-chief on Sunday strongly supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the killing of those two men,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I trust him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had conversed with members of Congress who may have voiced some worries about the reports over the past few days. Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the military's top officers, also spoke over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers leading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his trust and confidence in the experienced commanders at every level”, Caine’s office said in a release. The release further noted that the call focused on “addressing the intent and lawfulness of operations to disrupt illegal smuggling rings which endanger the safety and security of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Leaders React and Promise Probe The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on the week's start generally defended the missions, echoing the administration position that they were necessary to stop the influx of illicit drugs into the US. Thune stated the panels in Congress would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any judgments or inferences until you have complete information,” he remarked of the September 2nd strike. “We’ll see where they lead.” Following the report, Hegseth said on Friday that “misleading reporting is producing more false, provocative, and derogatory coverage to discredit our remarkable service members fighting to defend the nation”. “Our current operations in the Caribbean are legal under both US and international law, with all actions in compliance with the rules of war – and approved by the best legal advisors, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to critics. Schumer demanded that Hegseth make public the video of the attack and testify under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate military panel, vowed that his panel’s investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll discover the ground truth,” he said, noting that the ramifications of the report were “grave accusations”. The 2 September strike was one in a series carried out by the US military in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of warships near the Venezuelan coast, including the largest US aircraft carrier. Over 80 people were fatally wounded in the series of attacks.