🔗 Share this article US Navy Commander to Brief Lawmakers as Cross-Party Examination Intensifies Over Vessel Attack A high-ranking US Navy admiral is scheduled to deliver a confidential update to lawmakers monitoring the military this week, as they examine a US attack on a boat in the Caribbean waters. The incident, which reportedly struck a craft transporting drugs, allegedly included a follow-up strike that eliminated any remaining individuals. White House Defends Actions as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the follow-on engagement was carried out “as a defensive action” and in accordance with regulations pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party examination has increased over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a verbal order in last month to strike the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have argued the allegations, first reported recently, could amount to a violation of international law, and GOP members have also voiced their concerns about the legality of the attack on September 2nd. The House and Senate military oversight panels have initiated investigations into the recent US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean region and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these military actions,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley acted well within his mandate and the legal framework, directing the operation to guarantee the vessel was neutralized and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not challenge the account that there were individuals who survived after the first strike. Her justification came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when questioned about the event. Mounting Legislative Unease and Administration Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an national hero, a consummate professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A month following the strike, Bradley was promoted from commander of Joint Special Operations Command to commander of US Special Operations Command. Anxiety over the administration’s armed actions against alleged narcotics-trafficking boats has been building in Congress, but details of this subsequent attack stunned many lawmakers from both parties and generated stark inquiries about the legality of the attacks and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s news story was true, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Still, they said the alleged targeting of survivors of an initial rocket attack presented grave issues and deserved further scrutiny. White House and Military Leaders Reiterate Position The White House commented after the president on Sunday vigorously supported Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not order the killing of those two men,” Trump stated. He added, “And I trust him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have expressed some concerns about the allegations over the past few days. General Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend period with the bipartisan leaders leading the Senate and House military committees. He reiterated “his faith in the seasoned officers at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a statement. The release further noted that the call focused on “discussing the purpose and legality of missions to interrupt illegal smuggling rings which threaten the safety and security of the Americas”. Legislative Leaders Respond and Pledge Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday generally supported the missions, echoing the White House line that they were necessary to stop the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the panels in the legislature would investigate what happened. “I don’t think you want to make any conclusions or deductions until you have all the facts,” he said of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they point.” After the report, Hegseth wrote on the end of the week that “fake news is producing more fabricated, provocative, and derogatory reporting to undermine our remarkable service members fighting to defend the homeland”. “Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both American and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict – and sanctioned by the most qualified legal advisors, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “disgrace” over his reaction to critics. Schumer demanded that Hegseth make public the footage of the strike and appear under oath about what transpired. The Republican senator for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate military panel, pledged that his panel’s inquiry would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he added, stating that the implications of the report were “grave accusations”. The 2 September engagement was part of a sequence carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the buildup of a naval group of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the largest US aircraft carrier. Over 80 people were fatally wounded in the series of attacks.
A high-ranking US Navy admiral is scheduled to deliver a confidential update to lawmakers monitoring the military this week, as they examine a US attack on a boat in the Caribbean waters. The incident, which reportedly struck a craft transporting drugs, allegedly included a follow-up strike that eliminated any remaining individuals. White House Defends Actions as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the follow-on engagement was carried out “as a defensive action” and in accordance with regulations pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party examination has increased over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a verbal order in last month to strike the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have argued the allegations, first reported recently, could amount to a violation of international law, and GOP members have also voiced their concerns about the legality of the attack on September 2nd. The House and Senate military oversight panels have initiated investigations into the recent US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean region and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these military actions,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley acted well within his mandate and the legal framework, directing the operation to guarantee the vessel was neutralized and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not challenge the account that there were individuals who survived after the first strike. Her justification came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when questioned about the event. Mounting Legislative Unease and Administration Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an national hero, a consummate professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A month following the strike, Bradley was promoted from commander of Joint Special Operations Command to commander of US Special Operations Command. Anxiety over the administration’s armed actions against alleged narcotics-trafficking boats has been building in Congress, but details of this subsequent attack stunned many lawmakers from both parties and generated stark inquiries about the legality of the attacks and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s news story was true, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Still, they said the alleged targeting of survivors of an initial rocket attack presented grave issues and deserved further scrutiny. White House and Military Leaders Reiterate Position The White House commented after the president on Sunday vigorously supported Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not order the killing of those two men,” Trump stated. He added, “And I trust him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have expressed some concerns about the allegations over the past few days. General Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend period with the bipartisan leaders leading the Senate and House military committees. He reiterated “his faith in the seasoned officers at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a statement. The release further noted that the call focused on “discussing the purpose and legality of missions to interrupt illegal smuggling rings which threaten the safety and security of the Americas”. Legislative Leaders Respond and Pledge Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday generally supported the missions, echoing the White House line that they were necessary to stop the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the panels in the legislature would investigate what happened. “I don’t think you want to make any conclusions or deductions until you have all the facts,” he said of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they point.” After the report, Hegseth wrote on the end of the week that “fake news is producing more fabricated, provocative, and derogatory reporting to undermine our remarkable service members fighting to defend the homeland”. “Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both American and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict – and sanctioned by the most qualified legal advisors, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “disgrace” over his reaction to critics. Schumer demanded that Hegseth make public the footage of the strike and appear under oath about what transpired. The Republican senator for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate military panel, pledged that his panel’s inquiry would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he added, stating that the implications of the report were “grave accusations”. The 2 September engagement was part of a sequence carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the buildup of a naval group of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the largest US aircraft carrier. Over 80 people were fatally wounded in the series of attacks.