"Pete Hegseth on Saturday doubled down on his defense of US military strikes on alleged drug cartel boats in the Caribbean, arguing that Donald Trump has the power to take military action as he sees fit and dismissing concerns that the strikes violate international law. Hegseth spoke on Saturday at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, California, amid growing scrutiny over the legality of the attacks and his leadership of the Pentagon."
"He compared suspected drug smugglers to al-Qaida terrorists. If you're working for a designated terrorist organization and you bring drugs to this country in a boat, we will find you and we will sink you. Let there be no doubt about it, Hegseth said. President Trump can and will take decisive military action as he sees fit to defend our nation's interests. Let no country on earth doubt that for a moment."
Pete Hegseth defended US military strikes on alleged drug cartel boats in the Caribbean and asserted that President Trump has authority to take military action as he sees fit. Hegseth said the strikes were justified to protect Americans and compared suspected smugglers to al-Qaida terrorists. The strikes have killed more than 80 people since September. The administration argues the attacks are legal under the laws of war because the US is engaged in armed conflict with fentanyl traffickers linked to designated terrorist organizations. Legal experts and regional analysts criticized the rationale, cited lack of convictions and evidence for designations, and questioned the strikes' effectiveness against fentanyl smuggling.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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