🔗 Share this article US Admiral to Brief Congress as Cross-Party Examination Grows Over Boat Strike A senior American naval admiral is set to deliver a confidential update to congressional members overseeing the military this Thursday, as they examine a US attack on a vessel in the Caribbean waters. This event, which allegedly struck a craft carrying drugs, reportedly included a follow-up engagement that killed any survivors. Administration Justifies Strikes as Self-Defense The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the follow-on engagement was carried out “as a defensive action” and in accordance with regulations governing armed conflict. Bipartisan scrutiny has mounted over a report that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in September 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 voiced their concerns about the legality of the strike on September 2nd. The House and Senate armed services committees have initiated inquiries into the recent US armed engagements on boats in the Caribbean region and eastern Pacific Ocean. “Secretary Hegseth directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these military actions,” stated Leavitt. “The commander acted well within his authority and the legal framework, overseeing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the danger to the United States was removed.” In her remarks to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the report that there were survivors after the initial attack. Her explanation came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier said he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when questioned about the event. Growing Congressional Unease and Internal Support Late on Monday, 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 after the strike, Bradley was elevated from commander of JSOC to commander of USSOCOM. Anxiety over the administration’s military strikes against alleged drug-smuggling vessels has been growing in Congress, but details of this follow-on strike stunned many lawmakers from both parties and sparked stark questions about the lawfulness of the operations and the overall strategy in the region, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was accurate, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Still, they stated the reported attacking of survivors of an initial missile strike presented grave issues and merited additional investigation. Administration and Pentagon Officials Affirm Stance The administration commented after the president on the weekend strongly supported Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not command the death of those two men,” Trump stated. He added, “And I believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have expressed some worries about the allegations over the past few days. General Dan Caine, the chair of the military's top officers, also spoke over the weekend with the bipartisan leaders leading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his faith in the seasoned officers at every echelon”, Caine’s office stated in a statement. The statement further noted that the conversation centered on “addressing the intent and lawfulness of operations to interrupt illegal smuggling rings which endanger the security and stability of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Leaders React and Promise Investigation The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on the week's start generally supported the missions, repeating the administration position that they were necessary to stop the flow of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in Congress would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to make any conclusions or inferences until you have complete information,” he said of the 2 September strike. “We’ll see where they point.” After the news article, Hegseth said on Friday that “misleading reporting is producing more false, provocative, and disparaging reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland”. “Our current operations in the region are legal under both American and global statutes, with every step 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 Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his response to detractors. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the video of the attack and appear under oath about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, vowed that his panel’s investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll discover the facts,” he said, noting that the implications of the report were “serious charges”. The September 2nd strike was one in a series carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the biggest US carrier. Over eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the strikes.
A senior American naval admiral is set to deliver a confidential update to congressional members overseeing the military this Thursday, as they examine a US attack on a vessel in the Caribbean waters. This event, which allegedly struck a craft carrying drugs, reportedly included a follow-up engagement that killed any survivors. Administration Justifies Strikes as Self-Defense The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the follow-on engagement was carried out “as a defensive action” and in accordance with regulations governing armed conflict. Bipartisan scrutiny has mounted over a report that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in September 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 voiced their concerns about the legality of the strike on September 2nd. The House and Senate armed services committees have initiated inquiries into the recent US armed engagements on boats in the Caribbean region and eastern Pacific Ocean. “Secretary Hegseth directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these military actions,” stated Leavitt. “The commander acted well within his authority and the legal framework, overseeing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the danger to the United States was removed.” In her remarks to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the report that there were survivors after the initial attack. Her explanation came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier said he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when questioned about the event. Growing Congressional Unease and Internal Support Late on Monday, 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 after the strike, Bradley was elevated from commander of JSOC to commander of USSOCOM. Anxiety over the administration’s military strikes against alleged drug-smuggling vessels has been growing in Congress, but details of this follow-on strike stunned many lawmakers from both parties and sparked stark questions about the lawfulness of the operations and the overall strategy in the region, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was accurate, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Still, they stated the reported attacking of survivors of an initial missile strike presented grave issues and merited additional investigation. Administration and Pentagon Officials Affirm Stance The administration commented after the president on the weekend strongly supported Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not command the death of those two men,” Trump stated. He added, “And I believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have expressed some worries about the allegations over the past few days. General Dan Caine, the chair of the military's top officers, also spoke over the weekend with the bipartisan leaders leading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his faith in the seasoned officers at every echelon”, Caine’s office stated in a statement. The statement further noted that the conversation centered on “addressing the intent and lawfulness of operations to interrupt illegal smuggling rings which endanger the security and stability of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Leaders React and Promise Investigation The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on the week's start generally supported the missions, repeating the administration position that they were necessary to stop the flow of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in Congress would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to make any conclusions or inferences until you have complete information,” he said of the 2 September strike. “We’ll see where they point.” After the news article, Hegseth said on Friday that “misleading reporting is producing more false, provocative, and disparaging reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland”. “Our current operations in the region are legal under both American and global statutes, with every step 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 Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his response to detractors. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the video of the attack and appear under oath about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, vowed that his panel’s investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll discover the facts,” he said, noting that the implications of the report were “serious charges”. The September 2nd strike was one in a series carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the biggest US carrier. Over eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the strikes.