🔗 Share this article American Navy Commander to Inform Congress as Bipartisan Scrutiny Grows Over Boat Strike A high-ranking US Navy admiral is scheduled to provide a classified briefing to lawmakers overseeing the armed forces this week, as investigators probe a American strike on a boat in the Caribbean waters. The incident, which reportedly targeted a craft transporting narcotics, reportedly involved a follow-up strike that eliminated any survivors. White House Defends Actions as Defensive Measures The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the follow-on engagement was conducted “in self-defence” and in accordance with regulations pertaining to military engagement. Cross-party scrutiny has increased over a account that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a spoken command in September to attack the boat. Democrats have said the claims, initially disclosed last week, could constitute a war crime, and GOP members have also voiced their concerns about the legality of the strike on 2 September. The House and Senate armed services committees have initiated inquiries into the recent US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean region and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these military actions,” said Leavitt. “The commander worked well within his mandate and the legal framework, overseeing the engagement to ensure the boat was neutralized and the threat to the United States of America 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 following former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a follow-up attack” when asked about the incident. Growing Legislative Concern and Administration Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an national hero, a consummate 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 thirty days after the engagement, Bradley was elevated from commander of JSOC to chief of US Special Operations Command. Anxiety over the administration’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling boats has been building in the legislature, but details of this follow-on strike stunned many lawmakers from across the aisle and generated serious questions about the legality of the attacks and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members said they did not have confirmation whether the recent report was true, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Nevertheless, they stated the alleged attacking of individuals of an first rocket attack posed serious concerns and merited further scrutiny. White House and Pentagon Leaders Affirm Position The administration commented 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 believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with members of Congress who may have expressed some concerns about the reports over the past few days. General Dan Caine, the chair of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend period with the bipartisan leaders leading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his trust and confidence in the experienced commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a statement. The statement further noted that the conversation focused on “addressing the purpose and legality of operations to disrupt illicit trafficking networks which threaten the safety and stability of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Leaders React and Promise Investigation The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday broadly supported the operations, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the US. Thune stated the committees in the legislature would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to make any judgments or deductions until you have complete information,” he said of the September 2nd strike. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the report, Hegseth said on Friday that “fake news is delivering more fabricated, provocative, and disparaging coverage to undermine our remarkable service members working to defend the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the region are lawful under both American and global statutes, with every step in accordance with the law of armed conflict – and approved by the most qualified military and civilian lawyers, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth wrote. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “disgrace” over his response to detractors. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the video of the attack and appear under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate military panel, pledged that his committee's inquiry would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the ground truth,” he added, stating that the ramifications of the allegation were “serious charges”. The 2 September strike was part of a sequence carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of warships near the Venezuelan coast, including the biggest US carrier. Over eighty individuals were killed in the series of attacks.
A high-ranking US Navy admiral is scheduled to provide a classified briefing to lawmakers overseeing the armed forces this week, as investigators probe a American strike on a boat in the Caribbean waters. The incident, which reportedly targeted a craft transporting narcotics, reportedly involved a follow-up strike that eliminated any survivors. White House Defends Actions as Defensive Measures The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the follow-on engagement was conducted “in self-defence” and in accordance with regulations pertaining to military engagement. Cross-party scrutiny has increased over a account that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a spoken command in September to attack the boat. Democrats have said the claims, initially disclosed last week, could constitute a war crime, and GOP members have also voiced their concerns about the legality of the strike on 2 September. The House and Senate armed services committees have initiated inquiries into the recent US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean region and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these military actions,” said Leavitt. “The commander worked well within his mandate and the legal framework, overseeing the engagement to ensure the boat was neutralized and the threat to the United States of America 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 following former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a follow-up attack” when asked about the incident. Growing Legislative Concern and Administration Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an national hero, a consummate 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 thirty days after the engagement, Bradley was elevated from commander of JSOC to chief of US Special Operations Command. Anxiety over the administration’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling boats has been building in the legislature, but details of this follow-on strike stunned many lawmakers from across the aisle and generated serious questions about the legality of the attacks and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members said they did not have confirmation whether the recent report was true, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Nevertheless, they stated the alleged attacking of individuals of an first rocket attack posed serious concerns and merited further scrutiny. White House and Pentagon Leaders Affirm Position The administration commented 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 believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with members of Congress who may have expressed some concerns about the reports over the past few days. General Dan Caine, the chair of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend period with the bipartisan leaders leading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his trust and confidence in the experienced commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a statement. The statement further noted that the conversation focused on “addressing the purpose and legality of operations to disrupt illicit trafficking networks which threaten the safety and stability of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Leaders React and Promise Investigation The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday broadly supported the operations, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the US. Thune stated the committees in the legislature would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to make any judgments or deductions until you have complete information,” he said of the September 2nd strike. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the report, Hegseth said on Friday that “fake news is delivering more fabricated, provocative, and disparaging coverage to undermine our remarkable service members working to defend the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the region are lawful under both American and global statutes, with every step in accordance with the law of armed conflict – and approved by the most qualified military and civilian lawyers, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth wrote. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “disgrace” over his response to detractors. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the video of the attack and appear under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate military panel, pledged that his committee's inquiry would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the ground truth,” he added, stating that the ramifications of the allegation were “serious charges”. The 2 September strike was part of a sequence carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of warships near the Venezuelan coast, including the biggest US carrier. Over eighty individuals were killed in the series of attacks.