🔗 Share this article US Navy Commander to Brief Congress as Bipartisan Scrutiny Grows Over Maritime Engagement A high-ranking US Navy officer is set to deliver a classified update to lawmakers monitoring the armed forces this week, as they probe a American strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea. This event, which reportedly targeted a craft transporting drugs, allegedly included a follow-up engagement that killed any survivors. Administration Defends Strikes as Self-Defense The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the follow-on engagement was conducted “in self-defence” and in accordance with regulations pertaining to armed conflict. Bipartisan scrutiny has mounted over a report that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth gave a verbal order in last month to attack the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have argued the allegations, initially disclosed last week, could constitute a war crime, and Republicans have also voiced their concerns about the legality of the attack on 2 September. The Congressional armed services committees have initiated inquiries into the recent US armed engagements on boats in the Caribbean region and Pacific waters. “The Defense Secretary authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” stated Leavitt. “The commander acted well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was removed.” In her comments to reporters, Leavitt did not challenge the report that there were survivors after the initial strike. Her justification came after former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a follow-up attack” when asked about the incident. Growing Congressional Unease and Internal Backing 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 2 mission and all others since.” A thirty days following the strike, Bradley was elevated from head of JSOC to chief of US Special Operations Command. Anxiety over the administration’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling boats has been building in the legislature, but particulars of this subsequent attack stunned many lawmakers from both parties and generated serious questions about the legality of the operations and the overall strategy in the region, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was true, and some Republicans were sceptical. Still, they stated the alleged attacking of individuals of an initial rocket attack presented grave issues and deserved additional investigation. White House and Military Leaders Affirm Stance The administration weighed in after the commander-in-chief on the weekend vigorously defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not command the death of those two men,” Trump said. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have voiced some concerns about the reports over the past few days. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the joint chiefs of staff, also communicated over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers leading the Senate and House armed services committees. He restated “his trust and confidence in the seasoned officers at every level”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a statement. The release further noted that the conversation centered on “addressing the purpose and lawfulness of operations to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which endanger the safety and stability of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Leaders Respond and Promise Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday broadly defended the operations, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stem the flow of illicit drugs into the US. Thune said the panels in Congress would investigate what occurred. “I don’t think you want to make any conclusions or deductions until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the news article, Hegseth wrote on Friday that “misleading reporting is delivering more false, inflammatory, and disparaging reporting to undermine our incredible service members fighting to protect the nation”. “Our ongoing missions in the region 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, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “disgrace” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth release the footage of the strike and testify under penalty of perjury about what transpired. 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 “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he added, stating that the implications of the report were “grave accusations”. The 2 September engagement was part of a sequence carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the deployment of a fleet of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the biggest US carrier. More than eighty individuals were killed in the series of attacks.
A high-ranking US Navy officer is set to deliver a classified update to lawmakers monitoring the armed forces this week, as they probe a American strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea. This event, which reportedly targeted a craft transporting drugs, allegedly included a follow-up engagement that killed any survivors. Administration Defends Strikes as Self-Defense The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on the start of the week stated that the follow-on engagement was conducted “in self-defence” and in accordance with regulations pertaining to armed conflict. Bipartisan scrutiny has mounted over a report that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth gave a verbal order in last month to attack the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have argued the allegations, initially disclosed last week, could constitute a war crime, and Republicans have also voiced their concerns about the legality of the attack on 2 September. The Congressional armed services committees have initiated inquiries into the recent US armed engagements on boats in the Caribbean region and Pacific waters. “The Defense Secretary authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” stated Leavitt. “The commander acted well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was removed.” In her comments to reporters, Leavitt did not challenge the report that there were survivors after the initial strike. Her justification came after former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a follow-up attack” when asked about the incident. Growing Congressional Unease and Internal Backing 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 2 mission and all others since.” A thirty days following the strike, Bradley was elevated from head of JSOC to chief of US Special Operations Command. Anxiety over the administration’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling boats has been building in the legislature, but particulars of this subsequent attack stunned many lawmakers from both parties and generated serious questions about the legality of the operations and the overall strategy in the region, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was true, and some Republicans were sceptical. Still, they stated the alleged attacking of individuals of an initial rocket attack presented grave issues and deserved additional investigation. White House and Military Leaders Affirm Stance The administration weighed in after the commander-in-chief on the weekend vigorously defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not command the death of those two men,” Trump said. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have voiced some concerns about the reports over the past few days. Gen Dan Caine, the head of the joint chiefs of staff, also communicated over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers leading the Senate and House armed services committees. He restated “his trust and confidence in the seasoned officers at every level”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a statement. The release further noted that the conversation centered on “addressing the purpose and lawfulness of operations to interrupt illicit trafficking networks which endanger the safety and stability of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Leaders Respond and Promise Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on Monday broadly defended the operations, repeating the White House line that they were necessary to stem the flow of illicit drugs into the US. Thune said the panels in Congress would investigate what occurred. “I don’t think you want to make any conclusions or deductions until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the 2 September attack. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the news article, Hegseth wrote on Friday that “misleading reporting is delivering more false, inflammatory, and disparaging reporting to undermine our incredible service members fighting to protect the nation”. “Our ongoing missions in the region 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, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “disgrace” over his reaction to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth release the footage of the strike and testify under penalty of perjury about what transpired. 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 “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he added, stating that the implications of the report were “grave accusations”. The 2 September engagement was part of a sequence carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the deployment of a fleet of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the biggest US carrier. More than eighty individuals were killed in the series of attacks.