🔗 Share this article US Admiral to Brief Lawmakers as Cross-Party Examination Grows Over Vessel Attack A high-ranking US Navy officer is set to deliver a classified briefing to lawmakers monitoring the armed forces this Thursday, as they probe a US attack on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. The incident, which reportedly targeted a craft carrying drugs, reportedly involved a follow-up strike that killed any remaining individuals. White House Defends Strikes as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the follow-on engagement was conducted “in self-defence” and in accordance with laws governing armed conflict. Cross-party scrutiny has mounted over a account that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a spoken command in September to attack the boat. Democratic lawmakers have argued the claims, first reported recently, could constitute a violation of international law, and Republicans have also expressed their apprehensions about the legality of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional military oversight panels have initiated investigations into the recent series of US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean region and Pacific waters. “Secretary Hegseth authorised the naval commander to conduct these military actions,” said Leavitt. “The commander worked well within his authority and the legal framework, directing the operation to guarantee the vessel was neutralized and the threat to the United States was removed.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not challenge the account that there were survivors after the first attack. Her justification came after former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a follow-up attack” when questioned about the event. Mounting Legislative Unease and Administration Support Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an American hero, a true professional, and has my full and complete backing. I support him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A month after the strike, Bradley was elevated from commander of Joint Special Operations Command to commander of USSOCOM. Anxiety over the government’s armed actions against alleged narcotics-trafficking boats has been growing in Congress, but details of this subsequent attack stunned many legislators from across the aisle and generated serious questions about the legality of the operations and the broader policy in the region, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members said they did not know whether the recent news story was true, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Nevertheless, they stated the reported targeting of survivors of an initial rocket attack presented serious concerns and deserved additional investigation. White House and Military Leaders Affirm Stance The White House weighed in after the commander-in-chief on Sunday vigorously defended Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not command the death of those individuals,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I trust him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have expressed some concerns about the reports over the weekend. General 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 Senate and House armed services committees. He reiterated “his faith in the seasoned officers at every level”, Caine’s office stated in a release. The statement further noted that the call centered on “addressing the intent and lawfulness of missions to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which threaten the security and stability of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Figures React and Promise Investigation The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday generally defended the operations, repeating the administration position that they were essential to stop the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in Congress would investigate what happened. “I don’t think you want to make any conclusions or deductions until you have complete information,” he remarked of the September 2nd strike. “We’ll see where they point.” Following the news article, Hegseth wrote on Friday that “misleading reporting is delivering more false, provocative, and disparaging coverage to discredit our remarkable service members working to protect the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the region are legal under both US and global statutes, with every step in compliance with the rules of war – and approved by the best legal advisors, up and down the military hierarchy,” Hegseth wrote. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his response to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth release the video of the strike and testify under penalty of perjury about what happened. The Republican senator for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, vowed that his committee's investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the ground truth,” he said, noting that the implications of the report were “serious charges”. The 2 September strike was one in a series carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has directed the deployment of a naval group of warships near the Venezuelan coast, including the biggest US aircraft carrier. Over eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the strikes.
A high-ranking US Navy officer is set to deliver a classified briefing to lawmakers monitoring the armed forces this Thursday, as they probe a US attack on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. The incident, which reportedly targeted a craft carrying drugs, reportedly involved a follow-up strike that killed any remaining individuals. White House Defends Strikes as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the follow-on engagement was conducted “in self-defence” and in accordance with laws governing armed conflict. Cross-party scrutiny has mounted over a account that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a spoken command in September to attack the boat. Democratic lawmakers have argued the claims, first reported recently, could constitute a violation of international law, and Republicans have also expressed their apprehensions about the legality of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional military oversight panels have initiated investigations into the recent series of US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean region and Pacific waters. “Secretary Hegseth authorised the naval commander to conduct these military actions,” said Leavitt. “The commander worked well within his authority and the legal framework, directing the operation to guarantee the vessel was neutralized and the threat to the United States was removed.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not challenge the account that there were survivors after the first attack. Her justification came after former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a follow-up attack” when questioned about the event. Mounting Legislative Unease and Administration Support Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an American hero, a true professional, and has my full and complete backing. I support him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A month after the strike, Bradley was elevated from commander of Joint Special Operations Command to commander of USSOCOM. Anxiety over the government’s armed actions against alleged narcotics-trafficking boats has been growing in Congress, but details of this subsequent attack stunned many legislators from across the aisle and generated serious questions about the legality of the operations and the broader policy in the region, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members said they did not know whether the recent news story was true, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Nevertheless, they stated the reported targeting of survivors of an initial rocket attack presented serious concerns and deserved additional investigation. White House and Military Leaders Affirm Stance The White House weighed in after the commander-in-chief on Sunday vigorously defended Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not command the death of those individuals,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I trust him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have expressed some concerns about the reports over the weekend. General 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 Senate and House armed services committees. He reiterated “his faith in the seasoned officers at every level”, Caine’s office stated in a release. The statement further noted that the call centered on “addressing the intent and lawfulness of missions to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which threaten the security and stability of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Figures React and Promise Investigation The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday generally defended the operations, repeating the administration position that they were essential to stop the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in Congress would investigate what happened. “I don’t think you want to make any conclusions or deductions until you have complete information,” he remarked of the September 2nd strike. “We’ll see where they point.” Following the news article, Hegseth wrote on Friday that “misleading reporting is delivering more false, provocative, and disparaging coverage to discredit our remarkable service members working to protect the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the region are legal under both US and global statutes, with every step in compliance with the rules of war – and approved by the best legal advisors, up and down the military hierarchy,” Hegseth wrote. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his response to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth release the video of the strike and testify under penalty of perjury about what happened. The Republican senator for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, vowed that his committee's investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the ground truth,” he said, noting that the implications of the report were “serious charges”. The 2 September strike was one in a series carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has directed the deployment of a naval group of warships near the Venezuelan coast, including the biggest US aircraft carrier. Over eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the strikes.