🔗 Share this article American Admiral to Brief Congress as Cross-Party Examination Intensifies Over Vessel Attack A high-ranking US Navy officer is scheduled to provide a confidential briefing to congressional members monitoring the military this Thursday, as investigators probe a US attack on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea. The incident, which allegedly struck a craft transporting narcotics, allegedly included a second strike that killed any remaining individuals. White House Defends Actions as Self-Defense The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the follow-on engagement was carried out “as a defensive action” and in compliance with regulations governing military engagement. Cross-party scrutiny has mounted over a account that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in September to strike the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have argued the claims, first reported last week, could amount to a war crime, and GOP members have also expressed their concerns about the lawfulness of the attack on 2 September. The House and Senate military oversight panels have opened inquiries into the recent series of US military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary authorised the naval commander to execute these military actions,” stated Leavitt. “The commander acted well within his mandate and the law, overseeing the operation to guarantee the vessel was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was removed.” In her remarks to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the account that there were individuals who survived after the first attack. Her justification came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a follow-up attack” when asked about the event. Growing Legislative Unease and Administration Support Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an American hero, a true 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 following the strike, Bradley was promoted from head of JSOC to commander of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the administration’s military strikes against suspected 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 lawfulness of the operations and the overall strategy in the region, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers indicated they did not know whether last week’s report was accurate, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Still, they stated the reported attacking of survivors of an first rocket attack presented serious concerns and merited further scrutiny. Administration and Military Officials Reiterate Position The White House weighed in after the commander-in-chief on the weekend strongly defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not command the killing of those two men,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I trust him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had conversed with congressional representatives who may have voiced some worries about the allegations over the past few days. 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 leading the Senate and House armed services committees. He reiterated “his faith in the seasoned commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a release. The release further noted that the call centered on “discussing the purpose and legality of operations to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which endanger the safety and security of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Figures React and Pledge Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on the week's start broadly supported the missions, echoing the administration position that they were essential to stop the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in the legislature would investigate what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any judgments or deductions until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the September 2nd strike. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the report, Hegseth wrote on the end of the week that “fake news is producing more false, inflammatory, and derogatory coverage to undermine our incredible service members fighting to protect the homeland”. “Our current operations in the region are lawful under both US and global statutes, with every step in compliance with the rules of war – and approved by the most qualified military and civilian lawyers, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the video of the attack and testify under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The Republican senator for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his committee's investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll discover the facts,” 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 US military in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the deployment of a naval group of warships near Venezuela, including the biggest US aircraft carrier. Over eighty individuals were killed in the series of attacks.
A high-ranking US Navy officer is scheduled to provide a confidential briefing to congressional members monitoring the military this Thursday, as investigators probe a US attack on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea. The incident, which allegedly struck a craft transporting narcotics, allegedly included a second strike that killed any remaining individuals. White House Defends Actions as Self-Defense The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week asserted that the follow-on engagement was carried out “as a defensive action” and in compliance with regulations governing military engagement. Cross-party scrutiny has mounted over a account that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in September to strike the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have argued the claims, first reported last week, could amount to a war crime, and GOP members have also expressed their concerns about the lawfulness of the attack on 2 September. The House and Senate military oversight panels have opened inquiries into the recent series of US military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “The Defense Secretary authorised the naval commander to execute these military actions,” stated Leavitt. “The commander acted well within his mandate and the law, overseeing the operation to guarantee the vessel was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was removed.” In her remarks to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the account that there were individuals who survived after the first attack. Her justification came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a follow-up attack” when asked about the event. Growing Legislative Unease and Administration Support Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an American hero, a true 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 following the strike, Bradley was promoted from head of JSOC to commander of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the administration’s military strikes against suspected 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 lawfulness of the operations and the overall strategy in the region, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers indicated they did not know whether last week’s report was accurate, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Still, they stated the reported attacking of survivors of an first rocket attack presented serious concerns and merited further scrutiny. Administration and Military Officials Reiterate Position The White House weighed in after the commander-in-chief on the weekend strongly defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not command the killing of those two men,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I trust him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had conversed with congressional representatives who may have voiced some worries about the allegations over the past few days. 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 leading the Senate and House armed services committees. He reiterated “his faith in the seasoned commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a release. The release further noted that the call centered on “discussing the purpose and legality of operations to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which endanger the safety and security of the western hemisphere”. Legislative Figures React and Pledge Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on the week's start broadly supported the missions, echoing the administration position that they were essential to stop the influx of illegal narcotics into the US. Thune stated the committees in the legislature would investigate what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any judgments or deductions until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the September 2nd strike. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the report, Hegseth wrote on the end of the week that “fake news is producing more false, inflammatory, and derogatory coverage to undermine our incredible service members fighting to protect the homeland”. “Our current operations in the region are lawful under both US and global statutes, with every step in compliance with the rules of war – and approved by the most qualified military and civilian lawyers, throughout the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, labeled Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer called for that Hegseth make public the video of the attack and testify under penalty of perjury about what transpired. The Republican senator for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his committee's investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll discover the facts,” 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 US military in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the deployment of a naval group of warships near Venezuela, including the biggest US aircraft carrier. Over eighty individuals were killed in the series of attacks.