🔗 Share this article US Navy Commander to Inform Congress as Cross-Party Examination Grows Over Boat Strike A senior American naval admiral is scheduled to deliver a confidential update to lawmakers overseeing the armed forces this week, as they examine a US strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. The incident, which allegedly struck a boat transporting drugs, allegedly included a follow-up engagement that killed any survivors. White House Justifies Actions as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday stated that the second strike was carried out “in self-defence” and in accordance with laws pertaining to military engagement. Bipartisan examination has increased over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in last month to attack the vessel. Democrats have argued the claims, initially disclosed recently, could constitute a war crime, and Republicans have also voiced their apprehensions about the legality of the strike on 2 September. The House and Senate military oversight panels have opened inquiries into the recent series of US armed engagements on boats in the Caribbean region and Pacific waters. “Secretary Hegseth authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these military actions,” stated Leavitt. “The commander worked well within his mandate and the law, directing the operation to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States was removed.” In her comments to reporters, Leavitt did not challenge the account that there were individuals who survived after the initial strike. Her justification came following ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a follow-up attack” when questioned about the event. Growing Legislative Concern and Internal Support Late on Monday, Hegseth wrote online: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an national hero, a consummate professional, and has my full and complete backing. I stand by 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 elevated from commander of JSOC to commander of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the government’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling boats has been building in Congress, but particulars of this follow-on strike stunned many legislators from both parties and generated serious inquiries about the legality of the attacks and the broader policy in the region, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was accurate, and some Republicans were sceptical. Still, they stated the reported targeting of survivors of an first missile strike presented serious concerns and merited additional investigation. Administration and Military Leaders Affirm Position The administration weighed in after the commander-in-chief on the weekend strongly supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had conversed with members of Congress who may have expressed some concerns about the allegations over the weekend. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend period with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Congressional armed services committees. He reiterated “his faith in the experienced officers at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson stated in a release. The release further noted that the conversation centered on “discussing the purpose and legality of missions to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which threaten the safety and security of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Figures Respond and Promise Investigation The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on the week's start generally supported the operations, repeating the administration position that they were necessary to stop the flow 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 conclusions or inferences until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the September 2nd attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” Following the report, Hegseth wrote on the end of the week that “fake news is producing more fabricated, provocative, and disparaging reporting to undermine our remarkable warriors fighting to defend the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are legal under both US and global statutes, with every step in compliance with the rules of war – and sanctioned by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “disgrace” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth release the footage of the attack and appear under penalty of perjury about what happened. The Republican senator for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate military panel, pledged that his panel’s investigation would be “done by the numbers”. “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 executed by the American armed forces in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific as Trump has directed the buildup of a fleet of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the biggest US aircraft carrier. More than 80 people were fatally wounded in the strikes.
A senior American naval admiral is scheduled to deliver a confidential update to lawmakers overseeing the armed forces this week, as they examine a US strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. The incident, which allegedly struck a boat transporting drugs, allegedly included a follow-up engagement that killed any survivors. White House Justifies Actions as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday stated that the second strike was carried out “in self-defence” and in accordance with laws pertaining to military engagement. Bipartisan examination has increased over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in last month to attack the vessel. Democrats have argued the claims, initially disclosed recently, could constitute a war crime, and Republicans have also voiced their apprehensions about the legality of the strike on 2 September. The House and Senate military oversight panels have opened inquiries into the recent series of US armed engagements on boats in the Caribbean region and Pacific waters. “Secretary Hegseth authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these military actions,” stated Leavitt. “The commander worked well within his mandate and the law, directing the operation to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States was removed.” In her comments to reporters, Leavitt did not challenge the account that there were individuals who survived after the initial strike. Her justification came following ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a follow-up attack” when questioned about the event. Growing Legislative Concern and Internal Support Late on Monday, Hegseth wrote online: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an national hero, a consummate professional, and has my full and complete backing. I stand by 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 elevated from commander of JSOC to commander of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the government’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling boats has been building in Congress, but particulars of this follow-on strike stunned many legislators from both parties and generated serious inquiries about the legality of the attacks and the broader policy in the region, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was accurate, and some Republicans were sceptical. Still, they stated the reported targeting of survivors of an first missile strike presented serious concerns and merited additional investigation. Administration and Military Leaders Affirm Position The administration weighed in after the commander-in-chief on the weekend strongly supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had conversed with members of Congress who may have expressed some concerns about the allegations over the weekend. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend period with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Congressional armed services committees. He reiterated “his faith in the experienced officers at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson stated in a release. The release further noted that the conversation centered on “discussing the purpose and legality of missions to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which threaten the safety and security of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Figures Respond and Promise Investigation The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on the week's start generally supported the operations, repeating the administration position that they were necessary to stop the flow 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 conclusions or inferences until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the September 2nd attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” Following the report, Hegseth wrote on the end of the week that “fake news is producing more fabricated, provocative, and disparaging reporting to undermine our remarkable warriors fighting to defend the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are legal under both US and global statutes, with every step in compliance with the rules of war – and sanctioned by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “disgrace” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth release the footage of the attack and appear under penalty of perjury about what happened. The Republican senator for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate military panel, pledged that his panel’s investigation would be “done by the numbers”. “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 executed by the American armed forces in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific as Trump has directed the buildup of a fleet of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the biggest US aircraft carrier. More than 80 people were fatally wounded in the strikes.