🔗 Share this article US Navy Commander to Brief Congress as Cross-Party Scrutiny Grows Over Boat Strike A high-ranking US Navy officer is set to deliver a classified briefing to lawmakers monitoring the military this week, as investigators examine a American attack on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. This event, which allegedly targeted a craft transporting drugs, allegedly involved a second strike that eliminated any survivors. Administration Justifies Actions as Self-Defense The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the follow-on engagement was carried out “in self-defence” and in accordance with regulations pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party examination has mounted over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a spoken command in September to strike the boat. Democratic lawmakers have argued the claims, first reported last week, could constitute a violation of international law, and Republicans have also expressed their apprehensions about the lawfulness of the strike on 2 September. The Congressional armed services committees have opened inquiries into the recent series of US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean region and eastern Pacific Ocean. “Secretary Hegseth directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these military actions,” said Leavitt. “The commander worked well within his authority and the law, overseeing the engagement to ensure the vessel was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not challenge the report that there were individuals who survived after the first strike. Her explanation came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when asked about the event. Mounting Legislative Unease and Administration Support Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an national hero, a consummate professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A month following the strike, Bradley was promoted from commander of JSOC to commander of USSOCOM. Anxiety over the government’s armed actions against suspected drug-smuggling vessels has been growing in the legislature, but details of this subsequent attack shocked many legislators from both parties and generated serious inquiries about the legality of the operations and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members said they did not have confirmation whether the recent news story was true, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Still, they said the reported attacking of survivors of an initial missile strike presented grave issues and deserved further scrutiny. Administration and Military Officials Reiterate Stance The administration commented after the president on Sunday vigorously supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had conversed with members of Congress who may have voiced some worries about the allegations over the weekend. General Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, also communicated over the weekend period with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Congressional military committees. He restated “his trust and confidence in the seasoned officers at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a release. The statement further noted that the conversation centered on “addressing the intent and lawfulness of missions to interrupt illegal smuggling rings which threaten the safety and stability of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Leaders Respond and Promise Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on Monday broadly supported the missions, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stop the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in Congress would investigate what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any judgments or inferences until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” Following the report, Hegseth said on Friday that “fake news is delivering more fabricated, provocative, and derogatory reporting to discredit our remarkable service members working to defend the nation”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are legal under both American and global statutes, with all actions in compliance with the rules of war – and approved by the best legal advisors, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his response to critics. Schumer called for that Hegseth release the video of the attack and testify under oath 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 facts,” he added, stating that the implications of the allegation were “grave accusations”. The 2 September strike was part of a sequence carried out by the US military in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the largest US carrier. Over eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the strikes.
A high-ranking US Navy officer is set to deliver a classified briefing to lawmakers monitoring the military this week, as investigators examine a American attack on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. This event, which allegedly targeted a craft transporting drugs, allegedly involved a second strike that eliminated any survivors. Administration Justifies Actions as Self-Defense The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the follow-on engagement was carried out “in self-defence” and in accordance with regulations pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party examination has mounted over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a spoken command in September to strike the boat. Democratic lawmakers have argued the claims, first reported last week, could constitute a violation of international law, and Republicans have also expressed their apprehensions about the lawfulness of the strike on 2 September. The Congressional armed services committees have opened inquiries into the recent series of US armed engagements on vessels in the Caribbean region and eastern Pacific Ocean. “Secretary Hegseth directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these military actions,” said Leavitt. “The commander worked well within his authority and the law, overseeing the engagement to ensure the vessel was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not challenge the report that there were individuals who survived after the first strike. Her explanation came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike” when asked about the event. Mounting Legislative Unease and Administration Support Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an national hero, a consummate professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A month following the strike, Bradley was promoted from commander of JSOC to commander of USSOCOM. Anxiety over the government’s armed actions against suspected drug-smuggling vessels has been growing in the legislature, but details of this subsequent attack shocked many legislators from both parties and generated serious inquiries about the legality of the operations and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members said they did not have confirmation whether the recent news story was true, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Still, they said the reported attacking of survivors of an initial missile strike presented grave issues and deserved further scrutiny. Administration and Military Officials Reiterate Stance The administration commented after the president on Sunday vigorously supported Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had conversed with members of Congress who may have voiced some worries about the allegations over the weekend. General Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, also communicated over the weekend period with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Congressional military committees. He restated “his trust and confidence in the seasoned officers at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a release. The statement further noted that the conversation centered on “addressing the intent and lawfulness of missions to interrupt illegal smuggling rings which threaten the safety and stability of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Leaders Respond and Promise Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on Monday broadly supported the missions, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stop the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in Congress would investigate what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any judgments or inferences until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” Following the report, Hegseth said on Friday that “fake news is delivering more fabricated, provocative, and derogatory reporting to discredit our remarkable service members working to defend the nation”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are legal under both American and global statutes, with all actions in compliance with the rules of war – and approved by the best legal advisors, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his response to critics. Schumer called for that Hegseth release the video of the attack and testify under oath 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 facts,” he added, stating that the implications of the allegation were “grave accusations”. The 2 September strike was part of a sequence carried out by the US military in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the largest US carrier. Over eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the strikes.