White House justifies second strike on vessel, claims it was carried out in 'self-defense'
The White House has defended a second strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel off Venezuela's coast, claiming it was conducted in "self-defense" to protect Americans in vital US interests. The strike, which occurred in international waters and in accordance with the law of armed conflict, targeted a boat that had been identified as carrying out suspicious activities.
The defense secretary reportedly told officials to "kill everybody" after two survivors were identified after an initial military strike, but the White House has disputed this account, saying it was within the authority of the president to direct lethal targeting in accordance with the laws of war.
"This administration has designated these Narco terrorists as foreign terrorist organizations," said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. "Adm 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 strike comes amid growing tensions between the US and Venezuela, with President Donald Trump vowing to take action against the South American nation over its alleged role in supplying illegal drugs that threaten American lives.
Trump's national security team will meet later today to discuss the pressure campaign on Venezuela, including possible options for combating the country's alleged involvement in the illicit drug trade. The president has also vowed to support the opposition leader, Juan Guaido, who was recognized as the interim president of Venezuela by the US and many other countries.
However, critics have raised concerns about the legality of the strike, with some experts and former officials warning that it may be unlawful. "The Trump administration's missile strikes in the Caribbean may be unlawful," said a Washington Post report. Historically, the US government has intercepted drug-trafficking boats in the water and prosecuted the alleged smugglers.
The White House briefing also included other news, including a meeting between Trump and Maduro, who reportedly received an ultimatum from the president to step down. Additionally, press secretary Leavitt reiterated that President Trump has "permanently paused migration of foreign nationals from third world countries that pose a very high risk" to the US.
The president will also host his ninth cabinet meeting of the year on Tuesday and will make an announcement in the Oval Office about creating Trump accounts. He will also take part in the lighting of the national Christmas tree on the Ellipse and attend the Fifa World Cup final draw at the Kennedy Center on Friday.
Overall, the White House's response to criticism surrounding the strike suggests that they are committed to defending their actions against allegations of illegality.
The White House has defended a second strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel off Venezuela's coast, claiming it was conducted in "self-defense" to protect Americans in vital US interests. The strike, which occurred in international waters and in accordance with the law of armed conflict, targeted a boat that had been identified as carrying out suspicious activities.
The defense secretary reportedly told officials to "kill everybody" after two survivors were identified after an initial military strike, but the White House has disputed this account, saying it was within the authority of the president to direct lethal targeting in accordance with the laws of war.
"This administration has designated these Narco terrorists as foreign terrorist organizations," said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. "Adm 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 strike comes amid growing tensions between the US and Venezuela, with President Donald Trump vowing to take action against the South American nation over its alleged role in supplying illegal drugs that threaten American lives.
Trump's national security team will meet later today to discuss the pressure campaign on Venezuela, including possible options for combating the country's alleged involvement in the illicit drug trade. The president has also vowed to support the opposition leader, Juan Guaido, who was recognized as the interim president of Venezuela by the US and many other countries.
However, critics have raised concerns about the legality of the strike, with some experts and former officials warning that it may be unlawful. "The Trump administration's missile strikes in the Caribbean may be unlawful," said a Washington Post report. Historically, the US government has intercepted drug-trafficking boats in the water and prosecuted the alleged smugglers.
The White House briefing also included other news, including a meeting between Trump and Maduro, who reportedly received an ultimatum from the president to step down. Additionally, press secretary Leavitt reiterated that President Trump has "permanently paused migration of foreign nationals from third world countries that pose a very high risk" to the US.
The president will also host his ninth cabinet meeting of the year on Tuesday and will make an announcement in the Oval Office about creating Trump accounts. He will also take part in the lighting of the national Christmas tree on the Ellipse and attend the Fifa World Cup final draw at the Kennedy Center on Friday.
Overall, the White House's response to criticism surrounding the strike suggests that they are committed to defending their actions against allegations of illegality.
. I mean, a second strike like that? It sounds super aggressive and I don't think it's going to help with tensions between the US and Venezuela at all. I know the president says they're in "self-defense" but it feels like we're just trying to flex our military muscles over there. And what about the potential consequences for civilians caught in the crossfire? 
We can't just ignore those people and say "oh, sorry not sorry". The fact that some officials are saying "kill everybody" is pretty chilling too... 
. I can understand why Trump is trying to crack down on the drug trade, but isn't there a better way to do it? Using force like this just makes me feel like we're losing sight of what's really important - humanity 
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... this feels like we're just stuck in a never-ending cycle of conflict.
. The fact that some people are saying it might be unlawful just makes me go "huh?" 
. But still, you'd think they could try to do things in a way that doesn't put people's lives at risk or make it harder to deal with the root issues of the problem 
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It's not like they just meant to say something vague. The fact that it got taken out of context and used against the administration now makes me roll my eyes 
... like, I get it, national security and all that jazz 
, but can't we just talk things through instead of resorting to force? 
. And what about the whole 'self-defense' thing? Is that even a valid excuse for taking out an entire vessel in international waters? 
We need to be careful how we're handling situations like this, not resorting to force without thinking it through 
like that's gonna cut it 
. The Trump admin is getting more and more reckless by the day 
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I don't think 'self-defense' is a good enough excuse for killing people just because they were carrying out suspicious activities. 
It seems like they want to sweep this under the rug without having an honest discussion about what went down.
It's always the same narrative: US interests are at stake, and they need to take drastic action to protect us. But what about international law, man? Can't they just follow the rules for once? 
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, where the stakes are people's lives. I'm not saying that the US shouldn't be concerned about the drug trade, but come on, can't they just work with Venezuela to find a solution instead of resorting to military strikes? 
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. I get that our safety is important, but let's not forget that we're talking about human lives here 
. The fact that the strike happened in international waters and was meant to protect Americans makes sense, but is it really necessary to target a vessel with a boat carrying suspicious activity? 
. It's not that simple, you know? There are laws and protocols we have to follow when dealing with situations like this 
. I'm all for standing up for our interests, but let's do it without killing innocent people 
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. This isn't just about Venezuela or even the US; it's about how we treat other nations and how we handle conflicts 
. We can't just resort to violence whenever things get tough 
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The fact that there are experts warning about the illegality of this strike is a good indication that something fishy is going on.
We need to be careful here - the situation has the potential to blow up in our faces.
I'm not saying the US has no right to defend itself, but can we be sure this isn't just a case of overreach? 
i don't know how people are gonna justify this one. and what's with the "self-defense" excuse? it sounds like they're just trying to cover their own behinds 
isn't it weird that there's this huge discrepancy between what the defense secretary supposedly told officials to do versus what the White House is saying went down?