🔗 Share this article US Navy Commander to Update Lawmakers as Bipartisan Scrutiny Intensifies Over Maritime Engagement A senior American naval admiral is set to provide a classified briefing to congressional members overseeing the armed forces this Thursday, as investigators probe a US attack on a vessel in the Caribbean waters. This event, which reportedly targeted a boat transporting drugs, reportedly involved a follow-up strike that eliminated any survivors. White House Justifies Actions as Defensive Measures The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the second strike was carried out “in self-defence” and in compliance with regulations pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party examination has increased over a account that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth gave a verbal order in last month to strike the boat. Democrats have said the allegations, first reported recently, could amount to a violation of international law, and GOP members have also expressed their apprehensions about the lawfulness of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional military oversight panels have initiated investigations into the recent series of US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean region and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these kinetic strikes,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley worked well within his mandate and the legal framework, directing the engagement to guarantee the vessel was destroyed and the threat to the United States was removed.” In her remarks to reporters, Leavitt did not dispute 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 follow-up attack” when asked about the incident. Mounting Legislative Unease and Administration Backing Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an national 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 2nd operation and all others since.” A thirty days following the strike, Bradley was promoted from head of JSOC to commander of US Special Operations Command. Anxiety over the government’s armed actions against alleged narcotics-trafficking boats has been growing in the legislature, but particulars of this follow-on strike stunned many lawmakers from both parties and sparked stark inquiries about the lawfulness of the operations and the broader policy in the region, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was accurate, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Still, they stated the reported attacking of individuals of an first rocket attack posed serious concerns and deserved additional investigation. Administration and Pentagon Officials Reiterate Stance The White House weighed in after the commander-in-chief on the weekend strongly supported Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not command the killing of those two men,” Trump said. He added, “And I trust him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had conversed with congressional representatives who may have voiced some worries about the reports over the weekend. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend with the bipartisan leaders heading the Senate and House armed services committees. He reiterated “his trust and confidence in the experienced officers at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson stated in a release. The statement added that the call focused on “discussing the purpose and lawfulness of operations to disrupt illegal smuggling rings which threaten the safety and security of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Leaders React and Promise Investigation The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday generally supported the operations, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stem the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in Congress would look into what occurred. “I don’t think you want to draw any judgments or deductions until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the 2 September strike. “We’ll see where they point.” Following the news article, Hegseth said on the end of the week that “fake news is delivering more false, inflammatory, and derogatory coverage to discredit our incredible warriors working to defend the nation”. “Our current operations in the region are legal under both US and international law, with every step in compliance with the rules of war – and approved by the most qualified legal advisors, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to critics. Schumer demanded that Hegseth release the video of the attack and testify under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate military panel, pledged that his panel’s investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the ground truth,” he said, noting that the ramifications of the report were “serious charges”. 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 fleet of warships near Venezuela, including the largest US carrier. Over 80 people were killed in the series of attacks.
A senior American naval admiral is set to provide a classified briefing to congressional members overseeing the armed forces this Thursday, as investigators probe a US attack on a vessel in the Caribbean waters. This event, which reportedly targeted a boat transporting drugs, reportedly involved a follow-up strike that eliminated any survivors. White House Justifies Actions as Defensive Measures The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the second strike was carried out “in self-defence” and in compliance with regulations pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party examination has increased over a account that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth gave a verbal order in last month to strike the boat. Democrats have said the allegations, first reported recently, could amount to a violation of international law, and GOP members have also expressed their apprehensions about the lawfulness of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional military oversight panels have initiated investigations into the recent series of US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean region and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these kinetic strikes,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley worked well within his mandate and the legal framework, directing the engagement to guarantee the vessel was destroyed and the threat to the United States was removed.” In her remarks to reporters, Leavitt did not dispute 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 follow-up attack” when asked about the incident. Mounting Legislative Unease and Administration Backing Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an national 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 2nd operation and all others since.” A thirty days following the strike, Bradley was promoted from head of JSOC to commander of US Special Operations Command. Anxiety over the government’s armed actions against alleged narcotics-trafficking boats has been growing in the legislature, but particulars of this follow-on strike stunned many lawmakers from both parties and sparked stark inquiries about the lawfulness of the operations and the broader policy in the region, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was accurate, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Still, they stated the reported attacking of individuals of an first rocket attack posed serious concerns and deserved additional investigation. Administration and Pentagon Officials Reiterate Stance The White House weighed in after the commander-in-chief on the weekend strongly supported Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not command the killing of those two men,” Trump said. He added, “And I trust him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had conversed with congressional representatives who may have voiced some worries about the reports over the weekend. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend with the bipartisan leaders heading the Senate and House armed services committees. He reiterated “his trust and confidence in the experienced officers at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson stated in a release. The statement added that the call focused on “discussing the purpose and lawfulness of operations to disrupt illegal smuggling rings which threaten the safety and security of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Leaders React and Promise Investigation The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday generally supported the operations, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stem the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in Congress would look into what occurred. “I don’t think you want to draw any judgments or deductions until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the 2 September strike. “We’ll see where they point.” Following the news article, Hegseth said on the end of the week that “fake news is delivering more false, inflammatory, and derogatory coverage to discredit our incredible warriors working to defend the nation”. “Our current operations in the region are legal under both US and international law, with every step in compliance with the rules of war – and approved by the most qualified legal advisors, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to critics. Schumer demanded that Hegseth release the video of the attack and testify under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate military panel, pledged that his panel’s investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the ground truth,” he said, noting that the ramifications of the report were “serious charges”. 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 fleet of warships near Venezuela, including the largest US carrier. Over 80 people were killed in the series of attacks.