 "White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaking with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Wednesday. AP File")
Amid mounting controversy, the White House on Tuesday clarified that a second US airstrike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat on September 2 was ordered by a senior Navy commander and not Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The Washington Post had reported that a second strike was ordered to take out two survivors from the initial strike and to comply with an order by Hegseth that everyone be killed.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back on that characterisation, saying Hegseth authorised the strikes but did not instruct forces to “kill everybody”.
“Secretary Hegseth authorised Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes. Admiral Bradley worked 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 eliminated,” The Guardian quoted Leavitt as saying.
When asked whether the strike could constitute a war crime, Leavitt defended the operation, emphasising it was “conducted in international waters and in accordance with the law of armed conflict.”
Vice Admiral Frank Bradley, who commanded Joint Special Operations Command at the time of the attack, is scheduled to provide a classified briefing to lawmakers on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Hegseth expressed support for Bradley in a social media post, framing the decision as one made by the Navy commander.
“Let’s make one thing crystal clear: Admiral Mitch Bradley 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 2 mission and all others since. America is fortunate to have such men protecting us,” Hegseth wrote.
Quick Reads
View AllBoth the Senate and House Armed Services Committee chairs have announced probes into the September strikes, though few details have been released regarding the vessel or those aboard.
Since September, US airstrikes have targeted suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in at least 83 deaths.
Trump’s administration has not provided concrete evidence supporting the strikes, and numerous experts have questioned the legality of the operations.
With inputs from agencies