🔗 Share this article American Navy Commander to Update Congress as Bipartisan Scrutiny Intensifies Over Maritime Engagement A senior US Navy admiral is set to provide a confidential update to lawmakers overseeing the military this Thursday, as investigators probe a American strike on a boat in the Caribbean waters. The incident, which reportedly targeted a craft transporting drugs, reportedly included a follow-up engagement that killed any remaining individuals. White House Defends Actions as Self-Defense The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday asserted that the second strike was carried out “in self-defence” and in accordance with regulations pertaining to military engagement. Bipartisan scrutiny has increased over a account that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in last month to attack the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have argued the allegations, first reported recently, could constitute a violation of international law, and Republicans have also voiced their concerns about the legality of the attack on September 2nd. The House and Senate military oversight panels have opened investigations into the recent series of US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific waters. “The Defense Secretary authorised the naval commander to execute these kinetic strikes,” stated Leavitt. “The commander acted well within his mandate and the law, overseeing the operation to ensure the vessel was neutralized and the threat to the United States was removed.” In her remarks to reporters, Leavitt did not challenge the account that there were survivors after the initial strike. Her explanation came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier said he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a follow-up attack” when asked about the incident. Mounting Congressional Concern and Administration Backing Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an national hero, a true professional, and has my full and complete backing. I support him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A month after the strike, Bradley was promoted from head of JSOC to commander of USSOCOM. Concern over the government’s armed actions against suspected drug-smuggling boats has been building in Congress, but particulars of this follow-on strike shocked many legislators from across the aisle and generated stark questions about the legality of the attacks and the broader policy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was true, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Still, they said the alleged targeting of individuals of an initial rocket attack posed serious concerns and deserved additional investigation. Administration and Pentagon Officials Affirm Position The administration weighed in after the commander-in-chief on the weekend strongly supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the killing of those two men,” Trump said. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had conversed with members of Congress who may have expressed some concerns about the reports over the past few days. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also spoke over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Congressional armed services committees. He reiterated “his faith in the seasoned commanders at every level”, Caine’s office said in a release. The release added that the conversation centered on “discussing the purpose and lawfulness of missions to interrupt illegal smuggling rings which threaten the security and stability of the Americas”. Legislative Figures React and Pledge Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on Monday broadly supported the operations, echoing the administration position that they were necessary to stop the influx of illicit drugs into the US. Thune stated the committees in Congress would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any conclusions or deductions until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the September 2nd attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” Following the news article, Hegseth said on Friday that “misleading reporting is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to undermine our remarkable warriors working to protect the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are lawful under both US and global statutes, with every step in compliance with the law of armed conflict – and approved by the best legal advisors, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth release the footage of the strike and appear under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The Republican senator for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his committee's investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll discover the facts,” he added, noting that the implications of the report were “serious charges”. The 2 September strike was part of a sequence executed by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific as Trump has directed the deployment of a naval group of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the largest US aircraft carrier. More than eighty individuals were killed in the strikes.
A senior US Navy admiral is set to provide a confidential update to lawmakers overseeing the military this Thursday, as investigators probe a American strike on a boat in the Caribbean waters. The incident, which reportedly targeted a craft transporting drugs, reportedly included a follow-up engagement that killed any remaining individuals. White House Defends Actions as Self-Defense The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday asserted that the second strike was carried out “in self-defence” and in accordance with regulations pertaining to military engagement. Bipartisan scrutiny has increased over a account that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in last month to attack the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have argued the allegations, first reported recently, could constitute a violation of international law, and Republicans have also voiced their concerns about the legality of the attack on September 2nd. The House and Senate military oversight panels have opened investigations into the recent series of US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific waters. “The Defense Secretary authorised the naval commander to execute these kinetic strikes,” stated Leavitt. “The commander acted well within his mandate and the law, overseeing the operation to ensure the vessel was neutralized and the threat to the United States was removed.” In her remarks to reporters, Leavitt did not challenge the account that there were survivors after the initial strike. Her explanation came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier said he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a follow-up attack” when asked about the incident. Mounting Congressional Concern and Administration Backing Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an national hero, a true professional, and has my full and complete backing. I support him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A month after the strike, Bradley was promoted from head of JSOC to commander of USSOCOM. Concern over the government’s armed actions against suspected drug-smuggling boats has been building in Congress, but particulars of this follow-on strike shocked many legislators from across the aisle and generated stark questions about the legality of the attacks and the broader policy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was true, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Still, they said the alleged targeting of individuals of an initial rocket attack posed serious concerns and deserved additional investigation. Administration and Pentagon Officials Affirm Position The administration weighed in after the commander-in-chief on the weekend strongly supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the killing of those two men,” Trump said. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had conversed with members of Congress who may have expressed some concerns about the reports over the past few days. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also spoke over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Congressional armed services committees. He reiterated “his faith in the seasoned commanders at every level”, Caine’s office said in a release. The release added that the conversation centered on “discussing the purpose and lawfulness of missions to interrupt illegal smuggling rings which threaten the security and stability of the Americas”. Legislative Figures React and Pledge Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on Monday broadly supported the operations, echoing the administration position that they were necessary to stop the influx of illicit drugs into the US. Thune stated the committees in Congress would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any conclusions or deductions until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the September 2nd attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” Following the news article, Hegseth said on Friday that “misleading reporting is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to undermine our remarkable warriors working to protect the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are lawful under both US and global statutes, with every step in compliance with the law of armed conflict – and approved by the best legal advisors, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth release the footage of the strike and appear under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The Republican senator for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his committee's investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll discover the facts,” he added, noting that the implications of the report were “serious charges”. The 2 September strike was part of a sequence executed by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific as Trump has directed the deployment of a naval group of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the largest US aircraft carrier. More than eighty individuals were killed in the strikes.