🔗 Share this article US Navy Commander to Brief Congress as Cross-Party Scrutiny Grows Over Boat Strike A high-ranking US Navy admiral is scheduled to deliver a confidential update to lawmakers monitoring the armed forces this week, as they examine a American attack on a boat in the Caribbean waters. This event, which reportedly targeted a craft carrying narcotics, allegedly included a second engagement that eliminated any remaining individuals. White House Defends Strikes as Self-Defense The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the second strike was conducted “in self-defence” and in compliance with regulations governing armed conflict. Cross-party examination has mounted over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a spoken command in last month to attack the vessel. Democrats have said the allegations, first reported recently, could constitute a war crime, and Republicans have also expressed their apprehensions about the lawfulness of the attack on 2 September. The House and Senate armed services committees have initiated inquiries into the recent series of US armed engagements on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “Secretary Hegseth authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” stated Leavitt. “The commander acted well within his authority and the legal framework, directing the operation to guarantee the boat was destroyed and the danger to the United States of America was eliminated.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not challenge the report that there were survivors after the initial attack. Her justification came after former President Donald Trump a day earlier said he “would not have approved that – not a second strike” when asked about the event. Mounting Congressional Concern and Administration Support Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an American hero, a true professional, and has my full and complete backing. I stand by him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A thirty days following the engagement, Bradley was promoted from head of JSOC to commander of US Special Operations Command. 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 inquiries about the lawfulness of the attacks and the overall strategy in the region, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was accurate, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Still, they stated the reported attacking of individuals of an initial missile strike posed serious concerns and merited additional investigation. White House and Military Leaders Affirm Position The White House commented after the president on the weekend vigorously defended Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not command the killing of those two men,” Trump said. He added, “And I believe him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have voiced some worries about the reports over the weekend. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the joint chiefs of staff, also communicated over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Congressional military committees. He reiterated “his trust and confidence in the seasoned officers at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson stated in a release. The statement added that the call centered on “discussing the intent and lawfulness of missions to interrupt illegal smuggling rings which threaten the security and security of the Americas”. Congressional Figures Respond and Promise Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on the week's start generally supported the missions, echoing the administration position that they were essential 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 deductions until you have complete information,” he remarked of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they point.” After the report, Hegseth said on Friday that “fake news is producing more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to undermine our remarkable service members working to protect the homeland”. “Our current operations in the Caribbean are legal under both US and international law, with all actions in accordance with the law of armed conflict – and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “disgrace” over his reaction to critics. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the video of the strike and testify under penalty of perjury about what happened. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate military panel, pledged that his panel’s investigation would be “done by the numbers”. “We’ll discover the ground truth,” he added, stating that the ramifications of the allegation were “grave accusations”. The September 2nd engagement was one in a series carried out by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of naval vessels near the Venezuelan coast, including the largest US aircraft carrier. More than eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the strikes.
A high-ranking US Navy admiral is scheduled to deliver a confidential update to lawmakers monitoring the armed forces this week, as they examine a American attack on a boat in the Caribbean waters. This event, which reportedly targeted a craft carrying narcotics, allegedly included a second engagement that eliminated any remaining individuals. White House Defends Strikes as Self-Defense The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the second strike was conducted “in self-defence” and in compliance with regulations governing armed conflict. Cross-party examination has mounted over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a spoken command in last month to attack the vessel. Democrats have said the allegations, first reported recently, could constitute a war crime, and Republicans have also expressed their apprehensions about the lawfulness of the attack on 2 September. The House and Senate armed services committees have initiated inquiries into the recent series of US armed engagements on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “Secretary Hegseth authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” stated Leavitt. “The commander acted well within his authority and the legal framework, directing the operation to guarantee the boat was destroyed and the danger to the United States of America was eliminated.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not challenge the report that there were survivors after the initial attack. Her justification came after former President Donald Trump a day earlier said he “would not have approved that – not a second strike” when asked about the event. Mounting Congressional Concern and Administration Support Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an American hero, a true professional, and has my full and complete backing. I stand by him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A thirty days following the engagement, Bradley was promoted from head of JSOC to commander of US Special Operations Command. 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 inquiries about the lawfulness of the attacks and the overall strategy in the region, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers indicated they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was accurate, and some GOP senators were sceptical. Still, they stated the reported attacking of individuals of an initial missile strike posed serious concerns and merited additional investigation. White House and Military Leaders Affirm Position The White House commented after the president on the weekend vigorously defended Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not command the killing of those two men,” Trump said. He added, “And I believe him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have voiced some worries about the reports over the weekend. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the joint chiefs of staff, also communicated over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Congressional military committees. He reiterated “his trust and confidence in the seasoned officers at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson stated in a release. The statement added that the call centered on “discussing the intent and lawfulness of missions to interrupt illegal smuggling rings which threaten the security and security of the Americas”. Congressional Figures Respond and Promise Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on the week's start generally supported the missions, echoing the administration position that they were essential 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 deductions until you have complete information,” he remarked of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they point.” After the report, Hegseth said on Friday that “fake news is producing more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to undermine our remarkable service members working to protect the homeland”. “Our current operations in the Caribbean are legal under both US and international law, with all actions in accordance with the law of armed conflict – and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “disgrace” over his reaction to critics. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the video of the strike and testify under penalty of perjury about what happened. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate military panel, pledged that his panel’s investigation would be “done by the numbers”. “We’ll discover the ground truth,” he added, stating that the ramifications of the allegation were “grave accusations”. The September 2nd engagement was one in a series carried out by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of naval vessels near the Venezuelan coast, including the largest US aircraft carrier. More than eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the strikes.