🔗 Share this article American Navy Commander to Update Congress as Bipartisan Scrutiny Grows Over Boat Strike A senior American naval officer is set to provide a confidential briefing to congressional members monitoring the armed forces this Thursday, as they probe a American attack on a boat in the Caribbean waters. This event, which allegedly targeted a boat carrying narcotics, reportedly included a second engagement that eliminated any remaining individuals. Administration Justifies Actions as Self-Defense The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the follow-on engagement was conducted “as a defensive action” and in compliance with laws pertaining to armed conflict. Bipartisan scrutiny has mounted over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a spoken command in last month to strike the boat. Democratic lawmakers have said the allegations, first reported last week, could constitute a war crime, and GOP members have also voiced their concerns about the legality of the attack on September 2nd. The Congressional armed services committees have initiated investigations into the recent US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean region and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary directed the naval commander to conduct these kinetic strikes,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley acted well within his mandate and the law, overseeing the engagement to ensure the boat was neutralized and the danger to the United States was eliminated.” In her remarks to reporters, Leavitt did not dispute the report that there were individuals who survived after the initial attack. Her explanation came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when questioned about the incident. Growing Legislative Concern and Administration Support Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an American 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 2 mission and all others since.” A month following the strike, Bradley was promoted from commander of JSOC to chief of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the government’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling boats has been building in the legislature, but details of this subsequent attack shocked many lawmakers from across the aisle and sparked stark inquiries about the lawfulness of the attacks and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s news story was true, and some Republicans were doubtful. Nevertheless, they stated the alleged targeting of survivors of an initial rocket attack presented grave issues and deserved further scrutiny. Administration and Military Leaders Reiterate Position The administration weighed in after the commander-in-chief on the weekend vigorously supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I trust him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with members of Congress who may have expressed some concerns about the allegations over the past few days. General Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, also communicated over the weekend period with the bipartisan leaders heading the Congressional armed services committees. He restated “his faith in the experienced officers at every echelon”, Caine’s office stated in a release. The statement further noted that the conversation centered on “discussing the purpose and lawfulness of operations to disrupt illegal smuggling rings which threaten the safety and security of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Figures Respond and Promise Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on the week's start broadly supported the operations, echoing the administration position that they were essential to stop the flow of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in the legislature would investigate what occurred. “I don’t think you want to draw any conclusions or inferences until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they point.” Following the news article, Hegseth said on the end of the week that “misleading reporting is delivering more fabricated, provocative, and derogatory coverage to undermine our incredible warriors fighting to defend the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are lawful under both American and international law, with all actions in compliance with the rules of war – and sanctioned by the best military and civilian lawyers, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth make public the footage of the strike and appear under penalty of perjury about what happened. The Republican senator for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his committee's inquiry would be “done by the numbers”. “We’ll discover the facts,” he added, noting that the implications of the allegation were “serious charges”. The September 2nd engagement was part of a sequence carried out by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the deployment of a fleet of warships near Venezuela, including the largest US carrier. Over 80 people were killed in the strikes.
A senior American naval officer is set to provide a confidential briefing to congressional members monitoring the armed forces this Thursday, as they probe a American attack on a boat in the Caribbean waters. This event, which allegedly targeted a boat carrying narcotics, reportedly included a second engagement that eliminated any remaining individuals. Administration Justifies Actions as Self-Defense The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the follow-on engagement was conducted “as a defensive action” and in compliance with laws pertaining to armed conflict. Bipartisan scrutiny has mounted over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a spoken command in last month to strike the boat. Democratic lawmakers have said the allegations, first reported last week, could constitute a war crime, and GOP members have also voiced their concerns about the legality of the attack on September 2nd. The Congressional armed services committees have initiated investigations into the recent US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean region and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary directed the naval commander to conduct these kinetic strikes,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley acted well within his mandate and the law, overseeing the engagement to ensure the boat was neutralized and the danger to the United States was eliminated.” In her remarks to reporters, Leavitt did not dispute the report that there were individuals who survived after the initial attack. Her explanation came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when questioned about the incident. Growing Legislative Concern and Administration Support Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an American 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 2 mission and all others since.” A month following the strike, Bradley was promoted from commander of JSOC to chief of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the government’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling boats has been building in the legislature, but details of this subsequent attack shocked many lawmakers from across the aisle and sparked stark inquiries about the lawfulness of the attacks and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s news story was true, and some Republicans were doubtful. Nevertheless, they stated the alleged targeting of survivors of an initial rocket attack presented grave issues and deserved further scrutiny. Administration and Military Leaders Reiterate Position The administration weighed in after the commander-in-chief on the weekend vigorously supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I trust him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with members of Congress who may have expressed some concerns about the allegations over the past few days. General Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, also communicated over the weekend period with the bipartisan leaders heading the Congressional armed services committees. He restated “his faith in the experienced officers at every echelon”, Caine’s office stated in a release. The statement further noted that the conversation centered on “discussing the purpose and lawfulness of operations to disrupt illegal smuggling rings which threaten the safety and security of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Figures Respond and Promise Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on the week's start broadly supported the operations, echoing the administration position that they were essential to stop the flow of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in the legislature would investigate what occurred. “I don’t think you want to draw any conclusions or inferences until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they point.” Following the news article, Hegseth said on the end of the week that “misleading reporting is delivering more fabricated, provocative, and derogatory coverage to undermine our incredible warriors fighting to defend the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are lawful under both American and international law, with all actions in compliance with the rules of war – and sanctioned by the best military and civilian lawyers, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth make public the footage of the strike and appear under penalty of perjury about what happened. The Republican senator for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his committee's inquiry would be “done by the numbers”. “We’ll discover the facts,” he added, noting that the implications of the allegation were “serious charges”. The September 2nd engagement was part of a sequence carried out by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the deployment of a fleet of warships near Venezuela, including the largest US carrier. Over 80 people were killed in the strikes.