🔗 Share this article American Navy Commander to Brief Congress as Bipartisan Scrutiny Intensifies Over Maritime Engagement A senior US Navy officer is set to provide a confidential briefing to lawmakers overseeing the military this Thursday, as they examine a American attack on a vessel in the Caribbean waters. This event, which reportedly targeted a boat transporting narcotics, reportedly involved a follow-up engagement that eliminated any survivors. White House Justifies Strikes as Self-Defense The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday stated that the second strike was carried out “in self-defence” and in compliance with regulations pertaining to military engagement. Bipartisan examination has mounted over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a spoken command in last month to strike the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have argued the allegations, first reported last week, could amount to a war crime, and Republicans have also expressed their concerns about the lawfulness of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional military oversight panels have opened inquiries into the recent US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean region and Pacific waters. “Secretary Hegseth directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” said Leavitt. “The commander worked well within his mandate and the legal framework, directing the engagement to ensure the vessel was destroyed and the danger to the United States was eliminated.” In her remarks to reporters, Leavitt did not challenge the report that there were survivors after the first strike. Her justification 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 Congressional Unease and Administration Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an national hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I support him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A month after the engagement, Bradley was promoted from head of JSOC to commander of USSOCOM. Anxiety over the government’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling vessels has been building in the legislature, but details of this follow-on strike shocked many legislators from both parties and sparked stark questions about the lawfulness of the operations and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not have confirmation whether the recent report was accurate, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Nevertheless, they said the reported attacking of individuals of an first rocket attack posed grave issues and merited additional investigation. White House and Military Officials Reiterate Stance The administration commented after the commander-in-chief on the weekend vigorously defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those two men,” Trump stated. He added, “And I trust him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had conversed with congressional representatives who may have voiced some concerns about the reports over the past few days. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Senate and House armed services committees. He reiterated “his trust and confidence in the experienced commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson stated in a release. The release further noted that the conversation centered on “discussing the intent and lawfulness of operations to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which threaten the safety and security of the Americas”. Legislative Figures Respond and Pledge Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on the week's start generally supported the missions, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stop the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune said the committees in the legislature would investigate what occurred. “I don’t think you want to make any judgments or inferences until you have all the facts,” he said of the 2 September strike. “We’ll see where they point.” After the report, Hegseth said on Friday that “fake news is delivering more fabricated, provocative, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible service members fighting to defend the nation”. “Our current operations in the region are lawful under both American and global statutes, with every step in accordance with the law of armed conflict – and sanctioned by the most qualified legal advisors, up and down the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the video 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 panel’s investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the ground truth,” he said, stating that the implications of the allegation were “grave accusations”. The September 2nd engagement was part of a sequence executed by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific as Trump has directed the deployment of a fleet of naval vessels near the Venezuelan coast, including the largest US carrier. Over eighty individuals were killed in the strikes.
A senior US Navy officer is set to provide a confidential briefing to lawmakers overseeing the military this Thursday, as they examine a American attack on a vessel in the Caribbean waters. This event, which reportedly targeted a boat transporting narcotics, reportedly involved a follow-up engagement that eliminated any survivors. White House Justifies Strikes as Self-Defense The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday stated that the second strike was carried out “in self-defence” and in compliance with regulations pertaining to military engagement. Bipartisan examination has mounted over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a spoken command in last month to strike the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have argued the allegations, first reported last week, could amount to a war crime, and Republicans have also expressed their concerns about the lawfulness of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional military oversight panels have opened inquiries into the recent US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean region and Pacific waters. “Secretary Hegseth directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” said Leavitt. “The commander worked well within his mandate and the legal framework, directing the engagement to ensure the vessel was destroyed and the danger to the United States was eliminated.” In her remarks to reporters, Leavitt did not challenge the report that there were survivors after the first strike. Her justification 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 Congressional Unease and Administration Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an national hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I support him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A month after the engagement, Bradley was promoted from head of JSOC to commander of USSOCOM. Anxiety over the government’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling vessels has been building in the legislature, but details of this follow-on strike shocked many legislators from both parties and sparked stark questions about the lawfulness of the operations and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not have confirmation whether the recent report was accurate, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Nevertheless, they said the reported attacking of individuals of an first rocket attack posed grave issues and merited additional investigation. White House and Military Officials Reiterate Stance The administration commented after the commander-in-chief on the weekend vigorously defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those two men,” Trump stated. He added, “And I trust him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had conversed with congressional representatives who may have voiced some concerns about the reports over the past few days. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Senate and House armed services committees. He reiterated “his trust and confidence in the experienced commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson stated in a release. The release further noted that the conversation centered on “discussing the intent and lawfulness of operations to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which threaten the safety and security of the Americas”. Legislative Figures Respond and Pledge Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on the week's start generally supported the missions, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stop the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune said the committees in the legislature would investigate what occurred. “I don’t think you want to make any judgments or inferences until you have all the facts,” he said of the 2 September strike. “We’ll see where they point.” After the report, Hegseth said on Friday that “fake news is delivering more fabricated, provocative, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible service members fighting to defend the nation”. “Our current operations in the region are lawful under both American and global statutes, with every step in accordance with the law of armed conflict – and sanctioned by the most qualified legal advisors, up and down the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the video 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 panel’s investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the ground truth,” he said, stating that the implications of the allegation were “grave accusations”. The September 2nd engagement was part of a sequence executed by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific as Trump has directed the deployment of a fleet of naval vessels near the Venezuelan coast, including the largest US carrier. Over eighty individuals were killed in the strikes.