🔗 Share this article American Navy Commander to Brief Lawmakers as Bipartisan Scrutiny Intensifies Over Maritime Engagement A high-ranking US Navy officer is scheduled to provide a classified update to lawmakers monitoring the armed forces this week, as investigators examine a US attack on a boat in the Caribbean waters. This event, which reportedly targeted a boat transporting narcotics, allegedly included a second strike that eliminated any remaining individuals. Administration Defends Strikes as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday stated that the second strike was carried out “in self-defence” and in accordance with laws pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party scrutiny has increased over a report that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth gave a spoken command in last month to attack the vessel. Democrats have said the allegations, initially disclosed recently, could constitute a war crime, and GOP members have also expressed their apprehensions about the legality of the strike on 2 September. The Congressional armed services committees have initiated investigations into the recent US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean region and Pacific waters. “The Defense Secretary directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these military actions,” said Leavitt. “The commander worked well within his authority and the law, directing the operation to ensure the vessel was neutralized and the threat to the United States was eliminated.” In her remarks to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the account that there were survivors after the initial strike. Her justification came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a second strike” when questioned about the incident. Growing Congressional Unease and Internal Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth wrote online: “The Admiral is an national hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I support him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A thirty days after 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 boats has been growing in the legislature, but details of this follow-on strike stunned many legislators from both parties and generated serious inquiries about the lawfulness of the attacks and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s news story was true, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Nevertheless, they stated the reported attacking of individuals of an first missile strike posed grave issues and deserved additional investigation. White House and Military Officials Affirm Position The White House weighed in after the commander-in-chief on Sunday vigorously defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump said. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had conversed with congressional representatives who may have voiced some worries about the allegations over the weekend. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also spoke over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his trust and confidence in the seasoned officers at every level”, Caine’s office stated in a statement. The release further noted that the call focused on “discussing the intent and legality of operations to disrupt illicit trafficking networks which endanger the security and security of the Americas”. Congressional Leaders Respond and Pledge Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on Monday generally supported the operations, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stop the flow of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in the legislature would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any judgments or deductions until you have complete information,” he remarked of the September 2nd attack. “We’ll see where they point.” After the report, Hegseth said on the end of the week that “misleading reporting is delivering more false, provocative, and disparaging reporting to undermine our remarkable warriors fighting to protect the nation”. “Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both American and global statutes, with every step in compliance with the law of armed conflict – and sanctioned by the best legal advisors, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth stated. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “disgrace” over his response to critics. Schumer demanded that Hegseth release the footage of the attack and testify under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, vowed that his panel’s inquiry would be “done by the numbers”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he added, noting that the ramifications of the report were “grave accusations”. The September 2nd engagement was part of a sequence executed by the US military in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of warships near the Venezuelan coast, including the biggest US aircraft carrier. Over 80 people were fatally wounded in the strikes.
A high-ranking US Navy officer is scheduled to provide a classified update to lawmakers monitoring the armed forces this week, as investigators examine a US attack on a boat in the Caribbean waters. This event, which reportedly targeted a boat transporting narcotics, allegedly included a second strike that eliminated any remaining individuals. Administration Defends Strikes as Defensive Measures The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday stated that the second strike was carried out “in self-defence” and in accordance with laws pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party scrutiny has increased over a report that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth gave a spoken command in last month to attack the vessel. Democrats have said the allegations, initially disclosed recently, could constitute a war crime, and GOP members have also expressed their apprehensions about the legality of the strike on 2 September. The Congressional armed services committees have initiated investigations into the recent US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean region and Pacific waters. “The Defense Secretary directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these military actions,” said Leavitt. “The commander worked well within his authority and the law, directing the operation to ensure the vessel was neutralized and the threat to the United States was eliminated.” In her remarks to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the account that there were survivors after the initial strike. Her justification came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a second strike” when questioned about the incident. Growing Congressional Unease and Internal Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth wrote online: “The Admiral is an national hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I support him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A thirty days after 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 boats has been growing in the legislature, but details of this follow-on strike stunned many legislators from both parties and generated serious inquiries about the lawfulness of the attacks and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s news story was true, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Nevertheless, they stated the reported attacking of individuals of an first missile strike posed grave issues and deserved additional investigation. White House and Military Officials Affirm Position The White House weighed in after the commander-in-chief on Sunday vigorously defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump said. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had conversed with congressional representatives who may have voiced some worries about the allegations over the weekend. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also spoke over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his trust and confidence in the seasoned officers at every level”, Caine’s office stated in a statement. The release further noted that the call focused on “discussing the intent and legality of operations to disrupt illicit trafficking networks which endanger the security and security of the Americas”. Congressional Leaders Respond and Pledge Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on Monday generally supported the operations, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stop the flow of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in the legislature would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any judgments or deductions until you have complete information,” he remarked of the September 2nd attack. “We’ll see where they point.” After the report, Hegseth said on the end of the week that “misleading reporting is delivering more false, provocative, and disparaging reporting to undermine our remarkable warriors fighting to protect the nation”. “Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both American and global statutes, with every step in compliance with the law of armed conflict – and sanctioned by the best legal advisors, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth stated. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “disgrace” over his response to critics. Schumer demanded that Hegseth release the footage of the attack and testify under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, vowed that his panel’s inquiry would be “done by the numbers”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he added, noting that the ramifications of the report were “grave accusations”. The September 2nd engagement was part of a sequence executed by the US military in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of warships near the Venezuelan coast, including the biggest US aircraft carrier. Over 80 people were fatally wounded in the strikes.