🔗 Share this article US Navy Commander to Update Congress as Bipartisan Scrutiny Grows Over Maritime Engagement A senior American naval admiral is set to provide a confidential update to lawmakers monitoring the armed forces this week, as they examine a American strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea. The incident, which reportedly struck a craft transporting drugs, allegedly involved a second engagement that killed any remaining individuals. White House Defends Strikes as Defensive Measures The administration spokesperson, 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 military engagement. Bipartisan scrutiny has increased over a account that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in last month to strike the boat. Democrats have argued the allegations, initially disclosed recently, could constitute a war crime, and GOP members have also expressed their concerns about the legality of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional armed services committees have opened inquiries into the recent US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the operation to guarantee the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was removed.” In her remarks to reporters, Leavitt did not challenge the account that there were individuals who survived after the first attack. Her explanation came following ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when asked about the incident. Growing Congressional Unease and Administration Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral 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 thirty days after the engagement, Bradley was promoted from head of Joint Special Operations Command to commander of USSOCOM. Concern over the government’s military strikes against suspected narcotics-trafficking vessels has been growing in Congress, but particulars of this follow-on strike stunned many legislators from both parties and generated serious questions about the legality of the operations and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was true, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Still, they stated the alleged attacking of survivors of an first rocket attack posed serious concerns and deserved further scrutiny. Administration and Pentagon Officials Reiterate Position The administration weighed in after the president on Sunday strongly defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not command the killing of those individuals,” Trump said. He continued, “And I trust him.” Leavitt said 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 with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his faith in the seasoned commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a release. The release added that the conversation centered on “addressing the purpose and lawfulness of missions to disrupt illicit trafficking networks which threaten the safety and security of the Americas”. Legislative Leaders React and Promise Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday generally defended the operations, echoing the White House line that they were essential to stop the influx of illicit drugs into the US. Thune said the committees in the legislature would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any conclusions or deductions until you have complete information,” he remarked of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they point.” Following the news article, Hegseth said on Friday that “misleading reporting is producing more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our remarkable warriors fighting to protect the homeland”. “Our current operations in the region are legal under both US and global statutes, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict – and sanctioned by the most qualified military and civilian lawyers, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth wrote. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “disgrace” over his response to critics. Schumer called for 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 chair of the Senate military panel, vowed that his committee's inquiry would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the ground truth,” he said, noting that the ramifications of the allegation were “grave accusations”. The 2 September engagement was one in a series executed by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the deployment of a naval group of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the biggest US carrier. More than eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the series of attacks.
A senior American naval admiral is set to provide a confidential update to lawmakers monitoring the armed forces this week, as they examine a American strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea. The incident, which reportedly struck a craft transporting drugs, allegedly involved a second engagement that killed any remaining individuals. White House Defends Strikes as Defensive Measures The administration spokesperson, 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 military engagement. Bipartisan scrutiny has increased over a account that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in last month to strike the boat. Democrats have argued the allegations, initially disclosed recently, could constitute a war crime, and GOP members have also expressed their concerns about the legality of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional armed services committees have opened inquiries into the recent US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the operation to guarantee the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was removed.” In her remarks to reporters, Leavitt did not challenge the account that there were individuals who survived after the first attack. Her explanation came following ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when asked about the incident. Growing Congressional Unease and Administration Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral 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 thirty days after the engagement, Bradley was promoted from head of Joint Special Operations Command to commander of USSOCOM. Concern over the government’s military strikes against suspected narcotics-trafficking vessels has been growing in Congress, but particulars of this follow-on strike stunned many legislators from both parties and generated serious questions about the legality of the operations and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was true, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Still, they stated the alleged attacking of survivors of an first rocket attack posed serious concerns and deserved further scrutiny. Administration and Pentagon Officials Reiterate Position The administration weighed in after the president on Sunday strongly defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not command the killing of those individuals,” Trump said. He continued, “And I trust him.” Leavitt said 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 with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his faith in the seasoned commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a release. The release added that the conversation centered on “addressing the purpose and lawfulness of missions to disrupt illicit trafficking networks which threaten the safety and security of the Americas”. Legislative Leaders React and Promise Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday generally defended the operations, echoing the White House line that they were essential to stop the influx of illicit drugs into the US. Thune said the committees in the legislature would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any conclusions or deductions until you have complete information,” he remarked of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they point.” Following the news article, Hegseth said on Friday that “misleading reporting is producing more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our remarkable warriors fighting to protect the homeland”. “Our current operations in the region are legal under both US and global statutes, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict – and sanctioned by the most qualified military and civilian lawyers, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth wrote. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “disgrace” over his response to critics. Schumer called for 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 chair of the Senate military panel, vowed that his committee's inquiry would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the ground truth,” he said, noting that the ramifications of the allegation were “grave accusations”. The 2 September engagement was one in a series executed by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the deployment of a naval group of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the biggest US carrier. More than eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the series of attacks.