🔗 Share this article American Navy Commander to Brief Congress as Bipartisan Examination Grows Over Vessel Attack A senior US Navy officer is scheduled to deliver a classified update to congressional members overseeing the armed forces this week, as they examine a US strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. The incident, which reportedly targeted a craft transporting drugs, reportedly involved a follow-up strike that killed any remaining individuals. Administration Justifies Actions as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the follow-on engagement was carried out “in self-defence” and in accordance with laws pertaining to military engagement. Bipartisan examination has mounted over a account that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a verbal order in last month to attack the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have said the claims, initially disclosed recently, could amount to a violation of international law, and Republicans have also expressed their concerns about the legality of the strike on 2 September. The Congressional military oversight panels have opened investigations into the recent series of US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific waters. “The Defense Secretary authorised the naval commander to conduct these kinetic strikes,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley worked well within his authority and the legal framework, directing the engagement to guarantee the vessel was neutralized and the danger to the United States was removed.” In her comments to reporters, Leavitt did not dispute the report that there were individuals who survived after the initial strike. Her explanation came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a second strike” when asked about the event. Growing Congressional Unease and Internal Support Monday evening, Hegseth wrote online: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a consummate professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A thirty days following the engagement, Bradley was elevated from head of JSOC to chief of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the government’s armed actions against suspected narcotics-trafficking vessels has been growing in Congress, but particulars of this follow-on strike shocked many lawmakers from across the aisle and sparked stark inquiries about the lawfulness of the attacks and the broader policy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not have confirmation whether the recent report was true, and some Republicans were doubtful. Still, they said the alleged targeting of survivors of an first rocket attack posed grave issues and deserved further scrutiny. White House and Military Officials Affirm Stance The administration weighed in after the commander-in-chief on Sunday strongly supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those two men,” Trump said. He continued, “And I trust him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had conversed with members of Congress who may have voiced some worries about the allegations over the weekend. Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend period with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers leading the Congressional military committees. He reiterated “his faith in the experienced commanders at every level”, Caine’s spokesperson stated in a release. The release added that the call focused on “addressing the purpose and lawfulness of operations to disrupt illicit trafficking networks which endanger the safety and security of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Leaders Respond and Pledge Probe The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on the week's start broadly supported the operations, repeating the administration position that they were necessary to stem the flow of illicit drugs into the US. Thune stated the committees in Congress would investigate what occurred. “I don’t think you want to make any conclusions or deductions until you have complete information,” he remarked of the September 2nd attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the report, Hegseth wrote on the end of the week that “misleading reporting is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory coverage to undermine our incredible warriors fighting to defend the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are legal under both US and global statutes, with all actions in accordance with the rules of war – and sanctioned by the best military and civilian lawyers, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to critics. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the footage of the strike and appear under oath about what happened. The Republican senator for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his committee's inquiry would be “done by the numbers”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he said, noting that the ramifications of the allegation were “grave accusations”. The 2 September strike was part of a sequence executed by the US military in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the buildup of a naval group of naval vessels near the Venezuelan coast, including the largest US carrier. More than eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the strikes.
A senior US Navy officer is scheduled to deliver a classified update to congressional members overseeing the armed forces this week, as they examine a US strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. The incident, which reportedly targeted a craft transporting drugs, reportedly involved a follow-up strike that killed any remaining individuals. Administration Justifies Actions as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the follow-on engagement was carried out “in self-defence” and in accordance with laws pertaining to military engagement. Bipartisan examination has mounted over a account that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a verbal order in last month to attack the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have said the claims, initially disclosed recently, could amount to a violation of international law, and Republicans have also expressed their concerns about the legality of the strike on 2 September. The Congressional military oversight panels have opened investigations into the recent series of US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific waters. “The Defense Secretary authorised the naval commander to conduct these kinetic strikes,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley worked well within his authority and the legal framework, directing the engagement to guarantee the vessel was neutralized and the danger to the United States was removed.” In her comments to reporters, Leavitt did not dispute the report that there were individuals who survived after the initial strike. Her explanation came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a second strike” when asked about the event. Growing Congressional Unease and Internal Support Monday evening, Hegseth wrote online: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a consummate professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A thirty days following the engagement, Bradley was elevated from head of JSOC to chief of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the government’s armed actions against suspected narcotics-trafficking vessels has been growing in Congress, but particulars of this follow-on strike shocked many lawmakers from across the aisle and sparked stark inquiries about the lawfulness of the attacks and the broader policy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not have confirmation whether the recent report was true, and some Republicans were doubtful. Still, they said the alleged targeting of survivors of an first rocket attack posed grave issues and deserved further scrutiny. White House and Military Officials Affirm Stance The administration weighed in after the commander-in-chief on Sunday strongly supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those two men,” Trump said. He continued, “And I trust him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had conversed with members of Congress who may have voiced some worries about the allegations over the weekend. Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend period with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers leading the Congressional military committees. He reiterated “his faith in the experienced commanders at every level”, Caine’s spokesperson stated in a release. The release added that the call focused on “addressing the purpose and lawfulness of operations to disrupt illicit trafficking networks which endanger the safety and security of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Leaders Respond and Pledge Probe The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on the week's start broadly supported the operations, repeating the administration position that they were necessary to stem the flow of illicit drugs into the US. Thune stated the committees in Congress would investigate what occurred. “I don’t think you want to make any conclusions or deductions until you have complete information,” he remarked of the September 2nd attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the report, Hegseth wrote on the end of the week that “misleading reporting is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory coverage to undermine our incredible warriors fighting to defend the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are legal under both US and global statutes, with all actions in accordance with the rules of war – and sanctioned by the best military and civilian lawyers, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to critics. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the footage of the strike and appear under oath about what happened. The Republican senator for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his committee's inquiry would be “done by the numbers”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he said, noting that the ramifications of the allegation were “grave accusations”. The 2 September strike was part of a sequence executed by the US military in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the buildup of a naval group of naval vessels near the Venezuelan coast, including the largest US carrier. More than eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the strikes.